tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64740217977216061672024-03-16T03:16:22.856-04:00Bottom Shelf BooksPicture Books from a Somewhat Grown-up PerspectiveMinhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.comBlogger369125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6474021797721606167.post-89872236217641541132016-07-31T01:05:00.002-04:002016-07-31T01:05:44.086-04:00New Home for Bottom Shelf BooksFYI: In a effort to consolidate things, I'm going to start posting blog entries directly on the n<a href="http://minhlebooks.com/" target="_blank">ew author website</a>. I'll still keep this site up, but please <a href="http://minhlebooks.com/blog/" target="_blank">go here </a>if you want to check out new stuff!<br />
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Thank you!Minhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.com117tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6474021797721606167.post-13639753116467095472016-05-16T14:38:00.000-04:002016-05-16T14:38:00.326-04:00Author Spotlight at KidLit411<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vka39xAbRcURAB8u9R0Yf5AD6rtZ_ohlOARSTFoV-635PzjPmoLX5CPL8wVcv2xwb866EeEkMGPw3pxfZkei7HHHdg0gGr4ER3uj5JOq77sI_zl_7XZ7EsowjqhRxhTRU7uv19wYbQee/s1600/kidlit411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vka39xAbRcURAB8u9R0Yf5AD6rtZ_ohlOARSTFoV-635PzjPmoLX5CPL8wVcv2xwb866EeEkMGPw3pxfZkei7HHHdg0gGr4ER3uj5JOq77sI_zl_7XZ7EsowjqhRxhTRU7uv19wYbQee/s640/kidlit411.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Thanks to the <a href="http://www.kidlit411.com/p/about.html" target="_blank">team at KidLit411</a> for having me over on their blog to discuss the path to publication (including the all important step of getting out of your own way). Thanks, Sylvia and Elaine!<div>
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<a href="http://www.kidlit411.com/2016/05/Kidlit411-Author-Spotlight-Minh-Le.html?spref=tw&m=1" target="_blank">Click here</a> for the interview.</div>
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Minhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6474021797721606167.post-14772635533161899942016-05-16T14:29:00.001-04:002016-05-16T14:30:06.342-04:00Review for the New York Times Book Review<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdfPPDaNu59PD86rJ7CbE_-XQ3RZPBcs2g5qRbAz4FPs4b0Yejp7cUD43Xce5GXWOyCs9C-xI4PPQelxV1E4m5z5AAILIkliRGFG3xtckgoW9grik8jHgvcBPw0-yrbEeEYOyfE7utYqB/s1600/Opposite+Zoo.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdfPPDaNu59PD86rJ7CbE_-XQ3RZPBcs2g5qRbAz4FPs4b0Yejp7cUD43Xce5GXWOyCs9C-xI4PPQelxV1E4m5z5AAILIkliRGFG3xtckgoW9grik8jHgvcBPw0-yrbEeEYOyfE7utYqB/s640/Opposite+Zoo.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I was recently invited to review four books for the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/section/books/review" target="_blank">New York Times Book Review</a>, which went online on May 5 (May 7 in the print edition).<br />
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<a href="http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/05/08/books/review/il-sung-nas-the-opposite-zoo-and-more.html?_r=0&referer=http://m.facebook.com" target="_blank">Click here</a> to read my review of <i>The Opposite Zoo</i>, <i>Yaks Yak</i>, <i>There Is a Tribe of Kids</i>, and (my 2016 favorite so far) <i>Thunder Boy Jr.</i>Minhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6474021797721606167.post-25848857005850571252016-01-22T17:09:00.001-05:002016-01-23T13:58:40.051-05:00Extreme Caldecott Placement: 2016 EditionThe <a href="http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2016/01/american-library-association-announces-2016-youth-media-award-winners" target="_blank">ALA Youth Media Award winners were just announced</a>, which means it's time for EXTREME CALDECOTT PLACEMENT!<br />
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This started <a href="http://www.bottomshelfbooks.com/2015/02/extreme-caldecott-placement.html" target="_blank">last year</a> when I wondered, why stop with placing the Caldecott on the book's cover? With such a huge honor, why not sprinkle it throughout the actual book?<br />
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So, now that we have our latest batch of newly-minted award winning books, here is the 2016 edition of Extreme Caldecott Placement. <br />
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First, the distinguished honorees:<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>TROMBONE SHORTY</b></div>
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illustrated by Bryan Collier (words by Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2AKE_PHF-VzFYq49ICf2vzHqpxh9CPbVfauyD9o7Euhwvh3m7DgqAVdjYjSwk-v3nqDv_AxmG_SZJF0tiW2WkflP5y9Yt9CE7SeYDP3wz5CHib2ms0F37s9zVzQDQATAp7S1XbGfIKUz/s1600/Trombone+Shorty+Extreme+Caldecott.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2AKE_PHF-VzFYq49ICf2vzHqpxh9CPbVfauyD9o7Euhwvh3m7DgqAVdjYjSwk-v3nqDv_AxmG_SZJF0tiW2WkflP5y9Yt9CE7SeYDP3wz5CHib2ms0F37s9zVzQDQATAp7S1XbGfIKUz/s1600/Trombone+Shorty+Extreme+Caldecott.jpg" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>WAITING</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Kevin Henkes</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3-A9twiq1IC9py-zAtkdCrRLxy-kjXnB8adq9znQhtZgeMCmNQJHzlh_eRC3Lp9_r0iXiNQulTHtXqC_RV7fMKTDTgvgGGCkRUdtwlkh1YqCu1eBjZJq2UoZw80QvayVtDrpUnlROQoN/s1600/Waiting+Extreme+Caldecott.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3-A9twiq1IC9py-zAtkdCrRLxy-kjXnB8adq9znQhtZgeMCmNQJHzlh_eRC3Lp9_r0iXiNQulTHtXqC_RV7fMKTDTgvgGGCkRUdtwlkh1YqCu1eBjZJq2UoZw80QvayVtDrpUnlROQoN/s1600/Waiting+Extreme+Caldecott.jpg" /></a><br />
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<b>VOICE OF FREEDOM: FANNIE LOU HAMER: THE SPIRIT OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT</b></div>
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illustrated by Ekua Holmes (words by Carole Boston Weatherford)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJF6NeG6Ctt1PluEjmXGk7rH7U2EDe1CHiI71UggWhO6yFZpNbo7ASZV4K4gd8kyU6JrV3MWvxuLtXITYpE5J-5yB-QqDgImw6ZNcZW6qFdV7lsDlELr1h_B-lmBLPAdUMWqLwmKKtG2Y/s1600/Voice+of+Freedom+Extreme+Caldecott.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJF6NeG6Ctt1PluEjmXGk7rH7U2EDe1CHiI71UggWhO6yFZpNbo7ASZV4K4gd8kyU6JrV3MWvxuLtXITYpE5J-5yB-QqDgImw6ZNcZW6qFdV7lsDlELr1h_B-lmBLPAdUMWqLwmKKtG2Y/s1600/Voice+of+Freedom+Extreme+Caldecott.jpg" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "century" , "times" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> illustrated by Christian Robinson (words by Matt de la Peña)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "century" , "times" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_1-xNVtUQApO_OOHjRkaY3cDgM3qBGuEttOfVtf762B5EHwQE8mRuSOdfha0aqNdBSKoOi0amUnE4oZiW5R7iih_TaiadxVLcJTwMXZ71ssHL4nyuYSGfe9vcZJuSgG1jTinPS7IJpnj7/s1600/Last+Stop+Extreme+Caldecott.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_1-xNVtUQApO_OOHjRkaY3cDgM3qBGuEttOfVtf762B5EHwQE8mRuSOdfha0aqNdBSKoOi0amUnE4oZiW5R7iih_TaiadxVLcJTwMXZ71ssHL4nyuYSGfe9vcZJuSgG1jTinPS7IJpnj7/s1600/Last+Stop+Extreme+Caldecott.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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and finally, the illustrious (pun intended) Caldecott Medalist:<br />
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<b><br /></b>
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<b>FINDING WINNIE: THE TRUE STORY OF THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS BEAR</b></div>
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illustrated by Sophie Blackall (words by Lindsay Mattick)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMpLqN-FLuUYLRiYyZPgHdAeyZ2X9deaJ8dJNQVOib69O6aMNfPmw49oq8EMQRNxyx4n-m2vI9kKh9d8w6mcEzGIL5SKB2wEF8xGky8nT_BB4-BeS4lLe9C-3kTPx6IUar0_sYlvM6vLKL/s1600/Finding+Winnie+Extreme+Caldecott.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMpLqN-FLuUYLRiYyZPgHdAeyZ2X9deaJ8dJNQVOib69O6aMNfPmw49oq8EMQRNxyx4n-m2vI9kKh9d8w6mcEzGIL5SKB2wEF8xGky8nT_BB4-BeS4lLe9C-3kTPx6IUar0_sYlvM6vLKL/s1600/Finding+Winnie+Extreme+Caldecott.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
I mean, what better excuse for a elementary school style class photo than winning the coveted medal? Everyone say <strike>CHEESE</strike> CALDECOTT!</div>
Minhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6474021797721606167.post-75022107143320028202015-12-28T15:48:00.003-05:002015-12-28T15:48:23.815-05:00Best Picture Books of 2015 (Huffington Post)<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">
(Note: This post first appeared at the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/minhle/best-picture-books-of-201_2_b_8746618.html" target="_blank">Huffington Post on December 8, 2015</a>.</div>
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One of the reasons I'm drawn to children's literature is that the right book really is a gift that can last a lifetime. For me, one of those books is <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A Chair for My Mother</em> by Vera B. Williams. So when the sad news of Williams' passing broke this year, I opened up my tattered copy and was immediately hit by a wave of nostalgia.</div>
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I remembered the <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">feeling</em> of reading that book with my family as a kid. I felt the mother's exhausted posture after a long day of work, the satisfaction when they finally filled their huge jar with coins, and the giddiness of the grandmother giggling as she tried out new chairs. And now, as a father who gets to create new memories by reading that same book to my sons, I have a new appreciation for the term "a gift that keeps on giving."</div>
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So, while you can't replace a legend like Williams, it seems somewhat fitting that in such a dazzling year for picture books, the one that stood out the most for me was<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Last Stop on Market Street</em>, a touching story that carries on the tradition of emotionally honest and compelling family stories that was her trademark.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Overall</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Last Stop on Market Street</em> by Matt de la Peña, ill. Christian Robinson (Penguin)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556019-7922127-LastStoponMarketStreet.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-12-08-1449556019-7922127-LastStoponMarketStreet.jpg" height="351" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556019-7922127-LastStoponMarketStreet-thumb.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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The first time I read this book, its generosity of spirit instantly evoked memories of <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A Chair for My Mother</em>. Under the guiding influence of his kind but no-nonsense Nana, young CJ learns to see the world around him with greater empathy. So many books for children focus on the power of the imagination, but often in the service of the fantastical or the outrageous. Through de la Peña's deft narrative and Robinson's timeless illustrations, <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Last Stop on Market Street</em> invites readers to train their imaginative powers on the real world in order to see more deeply and with greater compassion.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Family</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Wolfie the Bunny</em> by Ame Dyckman, ill. Zachariah OHora (Little, Brown)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556068-4493070-WolfietheBunny.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-12-08-1449556068-4493070-WolfietheBunny.jpg" height="285" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556068-4493070-WolfietheBunny-thumb.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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The delightful <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Wolfie the Bunny</em> has captured a lot of hearts this year and with Dyckman's perfect comic timing and OHora's distinctively bold style, it's no wonder. For any family, adjusting to a new arrival is a huge adjustment. But like Wolfie, given time the newest addition will win you over... assuming he doesn't eat you all up first.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Finding the Music: En pos de la Música</em> by Jennifer Torres, ill. Renato Alarcão; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How to Share with a Bear</em> by Eric Pinder, ill. Stephanie Graegin; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Little Elliot, Big Family</em>by Mike Curato; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mango, Abuela, and Me</em> by Meg Medina, ill. Angela Dominguez; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The New Small Person</em> by Lauren Child; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One Family</em> by George Shannon, ill. Blanca Gomez; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Stella Brings the Family</em> by Miriam B. Schiffer, ill. Holly Clifton-Brown; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Story I'll Tell</em> by Nancy Tupper Ling, ill. Jessica Lanan; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Wait</em> by Antoinette Portis)</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Surprise</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In a Village by the Sea</em> by Muon Van, ill. April Chu (Creston)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449588393-4394358-InaVillagebytheSeaimage.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-12-08-1449588393-4394358-InaVillagebytheSeaimage.jpg" height="254" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449588393-4394358-InaVillagebytheSeaimage-thumb.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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At first glance, <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In a Village by the Sea</em> appears to be a straightforward story about family, but Van's clever nesting doll narrative and Chu's playful illustration sprinkle the story with a healthy dusting of magic and surprise.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Bear Ate Your Sandwich</em> by Julia Sarcone-Roach; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Robo-Sauce</em> by Adam Rubin, ill. Daniel Salmieri; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Skunk</em> by Mac Barnett, ill. Patrick O'Donnell; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Use Your Imagination</em> by Nicola O'Byrne; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Whisper</em> by Pamela Zagarenski)</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Biography</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer</em> by Carole Boston Weatherford, ill. Ekua Holmes (Candlewick)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556198-6246352-VoiceofFreedom.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-12-08-1449556198-6246352-VoiceofFreedom.jpg" height="259" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556198-6246352-VoiceofFreedom-thumb.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: xx-small;">(VOICE OF FREEDOM. Text copyright © 2015 by Carole Boston Weatherford. Illustrations copyright © 2015 by Ekua Holmes. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.)</span></div>
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Told in a lyrical first person narrative by the prolific Weatherford, Hamer's inspiring life story is further elevated by Holmes' powerful artwork. A fine artist making her debut in children's literature, Holmes' work is both grounding and transcendent, somehow taking the tactile qualities of collage and paint and infusing them with the otherworldly glow of a stained glass window. A fitting tribute to the woman known as "the spirit of the civil rights movement," Hamer's story feels as timely as ever.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine</em> by Laurie Wallmark, ill. April Chu; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Amazing Age of John Roy Lynch</em> by Chris Barton, ill. Don Tate; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America</em> by Carole Boston Weatherford, ill. Jamey Christoph; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Growing Up Pedro</em> by Matt Tavares; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Tricky Vic: The Impossibly True Story of the Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower</em> by Greg Pizzoli; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Wangari Maathai: The Woman Who Planted Millions of Trees</em> by Franck Prevot, ill. Aurelia Fronty)</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Biography (Artist)</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Enormous Smallness: A Story of E.E. Cummings</em> by Matthew Burgess, ill. Kris DiGiacomo (Enchanted Lion)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556261-677908-EnormousSmallnessCummings.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-12-08-1449556261-677908-EnormousSmallnessCummings.jpg" height="392" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556261-677908-EnormousSmallnessCummings-thumb.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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The title of this book (<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Enormous Smallness</em>) is perfectly fitting. Many of us think of poems as small things, but as much as anyone, E. E. Cummings showed us that even the smallest stanza could hold enormous meaning. Lovingly written (Burgess is himself a poet) and ingeniously illustrated, this book is a treasure for fans of Cummings, as well as those discovering his poetry for the first time.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Draw What You See: The Life and Art of Benny Andrews</em> by Kathleen Bendon, ill. Benny Andrews; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton</em> by Don Tate;<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova</em> by Laurel Snyder, ill. Julie Morstad; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Talkin' Guitar: A Story of Young Doc Watson</em> by Robbin Gourley; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Trombone Shorty</em> by Troy Andrews, ill. Bryan Collier)</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Most Heartwarming (and/or Heartwrenching)</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sonya's Chickens</em> by Phoebe Wahl (Tundra)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556325-3585867-SonyasChickensfinal.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-12-08-1449556325-3585867-SonyasChickensfinal.png" height="370" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556325-3585867-SonyasChickensfinal-thumb.png" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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Sonya raises chickens on her home farm, but following a deadly fox attack, she must learn to cope with loss. With the help of her father's timely storytelling, she receives a valuable lesson about empathy. A warm hug on a crisp morning, <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sonya's Chickens</em> is<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Lion King</em>'s Circle of Life... minus the soaring orchestral arrangement.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Boats for Papa</em> by Jessixa Bagley; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Counting Lions</em> by Kate Cotton, ill. Stephanie Walton; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mama's Nightingale</em> by Edwidge Danticat, ill. Leslie Staub; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Marguerite's Christmas</em> by India Desjardins, ill. Pascal Blanchet; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Only Child</em> by Guojing; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Two White Rabbits</em>by Jario Buitrago, ill. Rafael Yockteng; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Wish </em>by Matthew Cordell; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Yard Sale</em> by Eve Bunting, ill. Lauren Castillo)</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best on Kindness</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">If You Plant a Seed</em> by Kadir Nelson (Harpercollins)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556381-7683581-IfYouPlantaSeed.JPG" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-12-08-1449556381-7683581-IfYouPlantaSeed.JPG" height="283" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556381-7683581-IfYouPlantaSeed-thumb.JPG" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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Every interaction we have presents us with a choice about how we behave toward each other. Here Nelson (whose artwork is, as always, stunning) presents us with a simple but dramatic reminder about the power of choosing kindness.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Peace is an Offering</em> by Annette Le Box, ill. Stephanie Graegin; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sidewalk Flowers</em> by Jon Arno Lawson, ill. Sydney Smith; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Strictly No Elephants!</em> by Lisa Mantchev, ill. Taeeun Yoo; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Tiptoe Tapirs</em> by Hanmin Kim)</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Most Charming</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Float</em> by Daniel Miyares (Simon & Schuster)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556449-192686-Float.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-12-08-1449556449-192686-Float.jpg" height="199" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556449-192686-Float-thumb.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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Following the rainy day adventures of a boy and his newspaper boat, every square inch of this book is a treat. Though drama and disappointment hit when the boy's boat floats away, an uplifting twist leaves readers with their spirits soaring.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Leo: A Ghost Story</em> by Mac Barnett, ill. Christian Robinson; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lizard from the Park</em> by Mark Pett; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One Bear Extraordinaire</em> by Jayme McGowan; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Toys Meet Snow</em> by Emily Jenkins, ill. Paul O. Zelinsky; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Waiting</em> by Kevin Henkes)</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Concept Book</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Red, Yellow, Blue (And a Dash of White Too!)</em> by C.G. Esperanza (Sky Pony Press)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556535-3766419-RedYellowBlue.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-12-08-1449556535-3766419-RedYellowBlue.jpg" height="326" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556535-3766419-RedYellowBlue-thumb.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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A book that is ostensibly about mixing colors, this is a true feast for the senses. The first thing I thought of while flipping through this book was <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Basquiat after a Skittle binge</em>. There is a level of confidence to Esperanza's style that is unique in a debut author -- his control of the page is such that he is unafraid to loosen the reins and let the colors run a little wild. The result is thrilling and hypnotic.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">An Ambush of Tigers: A Wild Gathering of Collective Nouns</em> by Betsy R. Rosenthal, ill. Jago; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Big Bear, Little Chair</em> by Lizi Boyd; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hooray for Hoppy!</em> by Tim Hopgood; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ten Pigs: An Epic Bath Adventure</em> by Derek Anderson; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A Tower of Giraffes: Animals in Groups</em> by Anna Wright; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What's the Opposite?</em> by Oliver Jeffers)</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Most Inspiring</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music</em> by Margarita Engle, ill. Rafael López (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556583-6027180-DrumDreamGirl.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-12-08-1449556583-6027180-DrumDreamGirl.jpg" height="356" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556583-6027180-DrumDreamGirl-thumb.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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Some people can't help but march to the beat of a different drummer, but this is the story of someone who wants to actually <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">be</em> that different drummer. Based on a true story, a young girl dreams of playing the drums despite social norms forbidding her from doing so. Rather than allowing tradition to discourage her, she pursues her dream and through her determination, makes it easier for others to follow their own dreams.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth, and Harlem's Greatest Bookstore</em> by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, ill. R. Gregory Christie; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I Used to Be Afraid</em> by Laura Vaccaro Seeger;<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">My Pen</em> by Christopher Myers; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Red</em> by Jan De Kinder)</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best on the Environment</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Little Gardener</em> by Emily Hughes (Flying Eye)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556638-1919197-TheLittleGardener.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-12-08-1449556638-1919197-TheLittleGardener.jpg" height="322" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556638-1919197-TheLittleGardener-thumb.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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Through economical text and luscious illustrations, Hughes captures the daunting challenge (and sometimes despair) of environmental stewardship. However, she ends her story on a hopeful note as the Little Gardener's seemingly futile efforts inspire others to take up the cause.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Finding Spring</em> by Carin Berger; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Flowers Are Calling</em> by Rita Gray, ill. Kenard Pak; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Over in the Wetlands</em> by Caroline Star Rose, ill. Rob Dunlavey; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Tree of Wonder</em> by Kate Messner, ill. Simona Mulazzani; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt</em> by Kate Messner, ill. Christopher Silas Neal; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Welcome Home, Bear</em> by Il Sung Na)</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Personality</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bernice Gets Carried Away</em> by Hannah E. Harrison (Penguin)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556702-127685-BerniceGetsCarriedAway.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-12-08-1449556702-127685-BerniceGetsCarriedAway.jpg" height="352" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556702-127685-BerniceGetsCarriedAway-thumb.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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Compared to the limited emotional range of media-darling Grumpy Cat, Bernice is the Meryl Streep of the animal kingdom. Harrison's vibrant art and clever (but not too clever) play on words makes Bernice the perfect companion for any mood.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How to Catch a Mouse</em> by Philippa Leathers; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Max the Brave</em> by Ed Vere;<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">McToad Mows Tiny Island</em> by Tom Angleberger, ill. John Hendrix; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One Word from Sophia</em> by Jim Averbeck, ill. Yasmeen Ismail; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Special Delivery</em> by Philip C. Stead, ill. Matthew Cordell; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Tiger in My Soup</em> by Kashmira Sheth, ill. Jeffery Ebbeler)</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Non-Fiction</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Water is Water</em> by Miranda Paul, ill. Jason Chin (Macmillan)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556747-842444-WaterisWater.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-12-08-1449556747-842444-WaterisWater.jpg" height="351" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556747-842444-WaterisWater-thumb.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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Creative nonfiction at its best. Chin has a confident yet subtle style that brings to mind a modern day Norman Rockwell. Paired with Paul's rhythmic text, this exploration of the water cycle will not only teach today's children, but will also serve as a useful refresher for older readers as well.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage</em> by Selina Alko, ill. Sean Qualls and Selina Alko; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans</em> by Don Brown;<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear</em> by Lindsay Mattick, ill. Sophie Blackall; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras</em> by Duncan Tonatiuh; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lillian's Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act</em> by Jonah Winter, ill. Shane W. Evans;<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery that Baffled All of France</em> by Mara Rockliff, ill. Iacopo Bruno; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This Bridge Will Not Be Gray</em> by Dave Eggers, ill. Tucker Nichols)</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Read Aloud</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Where Bear?</em> by Sophy Henn (Penguin)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556791-1502930-WhereBear.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-12-08-1449556791-1502930-WhereBear.jpg" height="376" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556791-1502930-WhereBear-thumb.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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Our book begins with a bear cub and a boy who live together, but when the bear grows too big for the house, the two friends shift into problem solving mode. While the two search for Bear's new home, Henn's keen eye for design and effective see-sawing dialogue ensures that <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Where Bear?</em> will always have a home at storytime.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Boats Go</em> by Steve Light; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Boo-La-La Witch Spa</em> by Samantha Berger, ill. Isabel Roxas; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Goodnight Already!</em> by Jory John, ill. Benji Davies; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hoot Owl: Master of Disguise</em> by Sean Taylor, ill. Jean Jullien; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I Don't Like Koala!</em> by Sean Ferrell, ill. Charles Santoso; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Supertruck</em>by Stephen Savage)</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Dark/Mysterious</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Dog that Nino Didn't Have</em> by Edward van de Vendel, ill. Anton Van Hertbruggen (Eerdmans)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556847-7194567-TheDogThatNinoDidntHave.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-12-08-1449556847-7194567-TheDogThatNinoDidntHave.jpg" height="411" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556847-7194567-TheDogThatNinoDidntHave-thumb.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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A story about an imaginary friend that is interwoven with fraying threads of realism, Nino is a refreshing change of pace in the expansive imaginary friend genre. Rendered in scorching earth tones, this Dutch import might be the most visually jaw-dropping book of the year.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I am Henry Finch</em> by Alexis Deacon, ill. Viviane Schwarz; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Night Animals</em> by Gianna Marino; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Orion and the Dark</em> by Emma Yarlett; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Tea Party in the Woods</em> by Akiko Miyakoshi; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Tiger Who Would Be King</em> by James Thurber, ill. JooHee Yoon)</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Design</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Potato King</em> by Christoph Niemann (Owl Kids)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556895-4256816-ThePotatoKing.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-12-08-1449556895-4256816-ThePotatoKing.jpg" height="463" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556895-4256816-ThePotatoKing-thumb.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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Niemann, an award winning graphic designer, ingeniously uses the overlooked art of potato stamping to tell the (probably apocryphal) story of how King Frederick of Prussia introduced the potato to his country's cuisine. In addition to its delightful design, <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Potato King</em> is also a useful study on how to use reverse psychology and behavioral science to get people to eat their vegetables.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Beautiful Birds</em> by Jean Roussen, ill. Emmanuelle Walker; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Black Cat, White Cat</em> by Silvia Borando; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Some Things I've Lost</em> by Cybèle Young; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Spots in a Box</em> by Helen Ward; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Story of Snowflake and Inkdrop</em> by Pierdomenico Baccalario, ill. Alessandro Gatti; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The White Book</em>by Silvia Borando, Elisabetta Pica, and Loreno Clerici)</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Deep Dive</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Specific Ocean</em> by Kyo Maclear, ill. Katty Maurey (Kids Can Press)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556929-2608456-TheSpecificOcean.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-12-08-1449556929-2608456-TheSpecificOcean.jpg" height="396" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449556929-2608456-TheSpecificOcean-thumb.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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If you pay attention, you'll find that each year books happen to cluster around particular themes. This year there happened to be a good number of wonderful books featuring the ocean/water, my favorite of which was <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Specific Ocean</em>. Like the ocean itself, this book shimmers quietly on the surface but contains an unexpected depth. A valuable reminder that just because you can't take something with you, doesn't mean you have to leave it behind. (Note: There was also a bizarre clustering of books about Yetis this year... but even I couldn't bring myself to create a category for<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Yeti</em>).</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Bear Report</em> by Thyra Heder; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Blue Whale</em> by Jenni Desmond; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The King and the Sea</em> by Heinz Janisch, ill. Wolf Erlbruch; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pool</em> by JiHyeon Lee; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">To the Sea</em> by Cale Atkinson; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Trapped! A Whale's Rescue</em> by Robert Burleigh, ill. Wendell Minor)</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Funniest</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It's Only Stanley</em> by Jon Agee (Penguin)</div>
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It's only Stanley. It's only a mystery. It's only a slapstick comedy. It's only science fiction. It's only a love story. It's only all of these things, which makes it only one of the best picture books of the year. Also, if there were an award for Best Supporting Character, the beleaguered cat in this story definitely deserves it.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Day the Crayons Came Home</em> by Drew Daywalt, ill. Oliver Jeffers;<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mother Bruce</em> by Ryan T. Higgins; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Princess and the Pony</em> by Kate Beaton; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Rude Cakes</em> by Rowboat Watkins)</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Friendship</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Two Mice</em> by Sergio Ruzzier (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449557043-2046389-TwoMice.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-12-08-1449557043-2046389-TwoMice.jpg" height="356" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449557043-2046389-TwoMice-thumb.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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It's impressive how much personality, drama, and adventure Ruzzier manages to fit into such a seemingly slight book. For a counting book that only goes as high as three, the friendship in <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Two</em> Mice feels satisfyingly rich and well-developed.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">By Mouse and Frog</em> by Deborah Freedman; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Crow Made a Friend</em> by Margaret Peot; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Crunch</em> by Carolina Rabei; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Imaginary Fred</em> by Eoin Colfer, ill. Oliver Jeffers; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Juna's Jar</em> by Jane Bahk, ill. Felicia Hoshino; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lenny & Lucy</em> by Philip C. Stead, ill. Erin E. Stead; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We Forgot Brock!</em> by Carter Goodrich; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What James Said</em> by Liz Rosenberg, ill. Matthew Myers)</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Bedtime</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Wonderful Things You Will Be</em> by Emily Winfield Martin (Random House)</div>
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Martin didn't just write a book, she took all the hopes and dreams that we have for our children and turned that into a heat-seeking missile aimed straight at the heart. If you're in the market for a baby shower gift, look no further than this stylish book about loving someone no matter who they grow up to be.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Beep! Beep! Go to Sleep!</em> by Todd Tarpley, ill. John Rocco; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Good Night, Firefly</em> by Gabriel Alborozo; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Little Baby Buttercup</em> by Linda Ashman, ill. You Byun; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Moon is Going to Addy's House</em> by Ida Pearle; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Thank You and Good Night</em> by Patrick McDonnell; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">You Nest Here With Me</em> by Jane Yolen, ill. Heidi Stemple)</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Miscellaneous</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This is Sadie</em> by Sara O'Leary, ill. Julie Morstad (Tundra)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449557224-9211400-ThisisSadie.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-12-08-1449557224-9211400-ThisisSadie.jpg" height="409" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-12-08-1449557224-9211400-ThisisSadie-thumb.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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It seemed appropriate to reserve the "miscellaneous" category for Sadie, a character who defies easy categorization. A young girl who revels in the power of her imagination, Sadie scoffs at silly things like traditional gender constructs. The dynamic duo of O'Leary and Morstad have crafted a quiet but powerful celebration of childhood with a heroine who is a role model for all children. Readers should be prepared to reserve a special place on their shelves -- and in their hearts -- for the incomparable Sadie.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Her Idea</em> by Rilla Alexander; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Good Little Book</em> by Kyo Maclear, ill. Marion Arbona; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One Day, The End</em> by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, ill. Fred Koehler; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sail Away</em> by Langston Hughes, ill. Ashley Bryan; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What a Wonderful World</em> by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss (as sung by Louis Armstrong), ill. Tim Hopgood)</span></div>
Minhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6474021797721606167.post-30793417996370508202015-10-28T09:26:00.004-04:002015-10-28T09:28:20.012-04:00“I have seen this … perhaps thirty times and am still not anywhere near the bottom of it …”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For Halloween, Jules Danielson invited Betsy Bird, Travis Jonker, and me to discuss some scary/spooky/wonderful books from the picture book world. Go over to <a href="http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/?p=3900" target="_blank">Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast for the discussion</a>. I hope you enjoy... and that it doesn't keep you up at night!Minhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6474021797721606167.post-48654776445662498662015-10-28T09:23:00.004-04:002015-10-28T09:23:40.192-04:00COVER REVEAL!!!I've been eagerly waiting the moment when I could share some art from our book coming out in June, so a HUGE THANKS to Travis Jonker for <a href="http://100scopenotes.com/2015/10/21/exclusive-cover-reveal-let-me-finish-by-minh-le-and-isabel-roxas/" target="_blank">revealing the cover to Let Me Finish!</a>... and for the much-too-kind introduction. <br />
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I can't wait for you all to see the rest of the book. You're going to be blown away by Isabel's art.<br />
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Also, you can already <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Let-Me-Finish-Minh-L%C3%AA/dp/148472173X/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1445388326&sr=1-6" target="_blank">pre-order from Amazon</a>?! WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!?!?!?!!!!?!!!</div>
<br />Minhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6474021797721606167.post-43928393100327672242015-10-28T09:18:00.003-04:002015-10-28T10:03:03.681-04:00KidLitCon 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few weeks ago, I was very excited/honored to be invited to Kidlitcon in Baltimore and speak on a panel about Visual Storytelling with the talented Kevin O'Malley, Matt Phelan, and Shadra Strickland and moderated by the dynamic Susan Kusel. As the lone non-illustrator on the panel, it was just a treat to sit back and get a behind the scenes look at their process.<br />
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And of course, the whole conference was fantastic. Always great to meet/learn from/drink with so many great people in real life. Much props to Paula Willey, Sheila Ruth, and the rest of the crew for organizing another fantastic event. Can't wait til next time!</div>
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<span id="goog_636895751"></span><span id="goog_636895752"></span><br />Minhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6474021797721606167.post-59764095351324767372015-08-29T21:51:00.002-04:002015-08-29T21:51:36.319-04:00When it Rains, it Pours: 50 More Picture Books From a Stellar 2015<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">
Note: This post originally appeared in the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/minhle/when-it-rains-it-pours-50_b_8026340.html" target="_blank">Huffington Post on 8/24/15</a></div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-08-23-1440303383-2899860-Float9781481415248.IN04.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-08-23-1440303383-2899860-Float9781481415248.IN04.jpg" height="199" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-08-23-1440303383-2899860-Float9781481415248.IN04-thumb.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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(<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: xx-small;">FLOAT by Daniel Miyares from Simon & Schuster</span>)</div>
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As far as I'm concerned, 2015 could have closed up shop months ago and it still would have been a landmark year for picture books. Back in February, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/minhle/2015-picture-book-preview_b_6675276.html" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">I said</a> that this year may well prove to be a high water mark for picture books. However, there was no guarantee that the year would continue its torrid pace.</div>
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But apparently, when it rains, it pours because much to my delight, wave after wave of great books has continued to roll in. As a result, this year's quality of books is matched only by its unfathomable depth. So, prepare to clear some space on your shelves as we dive into some of the best books from the rest of 2015 (in alphabetical order).</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-08-23-1440303758-2387368-BerniceGetsCarriedAway.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-08-23-1440303758-2387368-BerniceGetsCarriedAway.jpg" height="352" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-08-23-1440303758-2387368-BerniceGetsCarriedAway-thumb.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bernice Gets Carried Away </em></strong>by Hannah E. Harrison (Penguin): Compared to the limited emotional range of media-darling <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Grumpy Cat</em>, Bernice is the Meryl Streep of the feline world. Harrison's vibrant art and clever (but not <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">too</em> clever) play on words makes Bernice the perfect companion for any mood.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Boats for Papa</em></strong> by Jessixa Bagley (Macmillan): A touching book about love and loss, sponsored by <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Kleenex </em>(or at least it should be). If this debut is any indication, the prodigiously talented Bagley will have reduced us all to helpless puddles of tears before we know it.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Day the Crayons Came Home</em> </strong>by Drew Daywalt, ill. Oliver Jeffers (Penguin): The team behind the runaway bestseller <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Day the Crayons Quit</em> is back, this time following the harrowing adventures of lost and forgotten crayons. Like <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Godfather II</em>, it's a sequel that not only stands on its own merit, but may be even more colorful than the original.</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-08-23-1440303788-8844346-TheDogThatNinoDidntHave.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-08-23-1440303788-8844346-TheDogThatNinoDidntHave.jpg" height="411" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-08-23-1440303788-8844346-TheDogThatNinoDidntHave-thumb.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Dog that Nino Didn't Have</em></strong> by Edward van de Vendel, ill. Anton Van Hertbruggen (Eerdmans): A story about an imaginary friend that is interwoven with fraying threads of realism, <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nino</em> is a refreshing change of pace in the expansive imaginary friend genre. Rendered in scorching earth tones, this Dutch import might be the most visually jaw-dropping book of the year.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear</em></strong> by Lindsay Mattick, ill. Sophie Blackall (Little Brown): Long before the Hundred Acre Wood, there was a Canadian soldier (the author's great grandfather) and his rescued pet bear. And by the way, did <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">you</em> know that Winnie the Pooh was Canadian? Maybe that explains his mild temperament and excellent manners.</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-08-23-1440303827-1948096-Float.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-08-23-1440303827-1948096-Float.jpg" height="199" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-08-23-1440303827-1948096-Float-thumb.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Float</em></strong> by Daniel Miyares (Simon & Schuster): Following the rainy day adventures of a boy and his newspaper boat, every square inch of this book is a treat. The drama and disappointment hit when the boat floats away, but an uplifting twist leaves readers with their spirits soaring. And though it's a minor detail, I appreciated how, while racing down the street after his escaped boat, the boy still takes the time to look both ways before crossing the street. Safety first, people!</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It's Only Stanley</em></strong> by Jon Agee (Penguin): It's only Stanley. It's only a mystery. It's only a slapstick comedy. It's only science fiction. It's only a love story. It's only all of these things, which makes it one of the best picture books of the year.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The King and the Sea</em></strong> by Heinz Janisch, ill. Wolf Erlbruch (Gecko Press): A charmingly unconventional book, <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The King and the Sea</em> follows a fumbling monarch through a series of absurd encounters. With wisdom and humor to spare, each of the vignettes (which read like Zen koans) expose the limits of the king's power. By the end, the king realizes that he's better off tossing aside his crown and going for a swim.</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-08-23-1440303859-3340857-KingandtheSea.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-08-23-1440303859-3340857-KingandtheSea.jpg" height="238" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-08-23-1440303859-3340857-KingandtheSea-thumb.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lenny & Lucy</em></strong> by Philip C. Stead, ill. Erin E. Stead (Macmillan): People often quote FDR's "There is nothing to fear but fear itself," as if that's supposed to be comforting. But <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">FEAR ITSELF</em>?! Now that sounds absolutely terrifying. <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lenny & Lucy</em> gets that life isn't always about conquering your fears -- that sometimes, when faced with a threatening darkness, the best you can do is huddle up with a friend.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Leo: A Ghost Story</em></strong> by Mac Barnett, ill. Christian Robinson (Chronicle): Despite it being such a strong year for picture books, between this and <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Last Stop on Market Street</em>, it still wouldn't surprise me if Robinson came away with both a Caldecott Medal and an honor (a rare feat last achieved by Jon Klassen). While his pages are usually bursting with color, here Robinson limits his palette to mostly cool blues, giving Barnett's clever ghost story a chilled but not creepy feel.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Little Elliot, Big Family</em></strong> by Mike Curato (Macmillan): In a modern era when people often live so far from their loved ones, Curato hits close to home with a story about creating family wherever and however you can find it.</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-08-23-1440303896-140663-LizardFromthePark.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-08-23-1440303896-140663-LizardFromthePark.jpg" height="450" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-08-23-1440303896-140663-LizardFromthePark-thumb.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lizard from the Park</em></strong> by Mark Pett (Simon & Schuster): Pett is a master of quiet illustrations that subtly pack an emotional punch. It may seem odd to use the word subtle about a book featuring a boy, his dinosaur, and a daring escape during a New York City parade, but trust me, it's fitting. It's in each of the tiny gestures, perfectly-angled head tilts, and touching in-between moments that the full extent of Pett's skill shines through. That being said, the daring escape is pretty awesome too.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Little Gardener</em></strong> by Emily Hughes (Flying Eye): Through economical text and luscious illustrations, Hughes captures the daunting challenge (and sometimes despair) of environmental stewardship. However, she ends her story on a hopeful note as the Little Gardener's seemingly futile efforts inspire others to take up the cause.</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-08-23-1440303924-2047526-TheLittleGardener.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-08-23-1440303924-2047526-TheLittleGardener.jpg" height="322" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-08-23-1440303924-2047526-TheLittleGardener-thumb.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mango, Abuela, and Me</em></strong> by Meg Medina, ill. Angela Dominguez (Candlewick) Mango is a talking pet parrot, but more importantly he is an ingenious narrative device for a story about language acquisition. Mia and her grandmother have trouble navigating their language differences, but with a lot of persistence and a little help from Mango, they are able to close the language gap in no time.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One Bear Extraordinaire</em></strong> by Jayme McGowan (Abrams): A rambling musician goes in search of a missing element to his song and ends up finding so much more. McGowan's intricate papercut art and playful cast of characters are guaranteed to put a smile on your face and leave you howling with delight.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Princess and the Pony</em></strong> by Kate Beaton (Scholastic): A multiracial warrior princess from the creator of <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hark! A Vagrant</em>? Sign me up!</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-08-23-1440303951-5592753-RedYellowBlue.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-08-23-1440303951-5592753-RedYellowBlue.jpg" height="326" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-08-23-1440303951-5592753-RedYellowBlue-thumb.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Red, Yellow, Blue (And a Dash of White, Too!)</em></strong> by C.G. Esperanza (Sky Pony): A true feast for the senses, the first thing I thought of while flipping through this book was <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Basquiat after a Skittle binge</em>. There is a level of confidence to Esperanza's style that is unique in a debut author -- his control of the page is such that he is unafraid to loosen the reins and let the colors run a little wild. The result is thrilling and hypnotic.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sidewalk Flowers</em></strong> by Jon Arno Lawson ill. Sydney Smith (Groundwood): On a walk with her father, a girl quietly picks stray flowers along the way. As they navigate the city, she gives away the flowers, adding much-needed color to the drab landscape and leaving traces of beauty and compassion in her wake.</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-08-23-1440349429-2990795-SonyasChickensfinal.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-08-23-1440349429-2990795-SonyasChickensfinal.png" height="370" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-08-23-1440349429-2990795-SonyasChickensfinal-thumb.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sonya's Chickens</em></strong> by Phoebe Wahl (Tundra): Sonya raises chickens on her home farm, but following a deadly fox attack, she must learn to cope with loss. And with the help of her father's timely storytelling (way to use that teachable moment, pop), she receives a valuable lesson about empathy. A warm hug on a crisp morning, <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sonya's Chickens</em> is <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Lion King's Circle of Life</em>... minus the soaring orchestral arrangement.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Specific Ocean</em></strong> by Kyo Maclear, ill. Katty Maurey (Kids Can Press): Like the ocean itself, this book shimmers quietly on the surface but contains an unexpected depth. A valuable reminder that just because you can't take something with you, doesn't mean you have to leave it behind.</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-08-23-1440305367-1551672-TheSpecificOcean.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-08-23-1440305367-1551672-TheSpecificOcean.jpg" height="396" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-08-23-1440305367-1551672-TheSpecificOcean-thumb.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">To the Sea</em></strong> by Cale Atkinson (Disney*Hyperion): A story about the importance of being seen, Atkinson illustrates his story about friendship with a bold palette (mostly richly dark blues and radiant oranges), adding a level of high drama to this heartwarming book.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer</em></strong> by Carole Boston Weatherford, ill. Ekua Holmes (Candlewick): Told in a lyrical first person narrative by the prolific Weatherford (a master of picture book non-fiction), Hamer's inspiring life story is further elevated by Holmes' powerful artwork. A fine artist making her debut in children's literature, her work is both grounding and transcendent, somehow taking the tactile qualities of collage and paint and infusing them with the otherworldly glow of a stained glass window. A fitting tribute to the woman known as "the spirit of the civil rights movement."</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Wait</em></strong> by Antoinette Portis (Macmillan): Similar in theme to the aforementioned<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sidewalk Flowers</em>, we find ourselves again in a preoccupied and hurried world. It takes a child to remind us to slow down and notice the beauty around us. That being said, have you ever been in a hurry and tried getting somewhere with a toddler? It's adorable but absolutely maddening. I can already see the satirical version of this book from the parent's perspective called, <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">That's Great Sweetie, But We Really Do Need to Go, So Let's Just Try to Focus and Keep Moving. One Step at a Time. There We Go, One Step at a.... ARGHHHHH!!!!! Not Another $#*(%^! BUG!!!</em></div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-08-23-1440305517-6576458-WhiteBook.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2015-08-23-1440305517-6576458-WhiteBook.jpg" height="327" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-08-23-1440305517-6576458-WhiteBook-thumb.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: xx-small;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">(THE WHITE BOOK. Copyright 2013 by minibombo. English translation copyright 2015 by Walker Books, Ltd. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA on behalf of Walker Books, London.)</em></span></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The White Book</em> </strong>by Silvia Borando, Elisabetta Pica, and Lorenzo Clerici (Candlewick): A child paints the walls of his room only to find that each color reveals a special secret. An absolute charmer of a book that doesn't need any words to cast its spell on readers of all ages.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Wonderful Things You Will Be</em> </strong>by Emily Winfield Martin (Random House): Martin didn't just write a book, she took all the hopes and dreams that we have for our children and turned that into a heat-seeking missile aimed straight at the heart. If you're in the market for a baby shower gift, look no further than this stylish book about loving someone no matter who they grow up to be.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">More Favorites</strong> (Seriously, I wasn't kidding about depth):</div>
<ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 15px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Bear Report</em> by Thyra Heder (Abrams)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Black Cat, White Cat</em> by Silvia Borando (Candlewick)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Boo-La-La Witch Spa</em> by Samantha Berger, ill. Isabel Roxas (Penguin)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A Fine Dessert: Four Centuries, Four Families, One Delicious Treat</em> by Emily Jenkins, ill. Sophie Blackall (Random House)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Funny Bones: Posada and His day of the Dead Calaveras</em> by Duncan Tonatiuh (Abrams)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Good Night, Firefly</em> by Gabriel Alborozo (Macmillan)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America</em> by Carole Boston Weatherford, ill. Jamey Christoph (Albert Whitman)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How to Catch a Mouse</em> by Philippa Leathers (Candlewick)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I Will Fight Monsters for You</em> by Sati Balmes, ill. Lyona (Albert Whitman)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Imaginary Fred</em> by Eoin Colfer, ill. Oliver Jeffers (HarperCollins)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lillian's Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965</em> by Jonah Winter, ill. Shane Evans (Random House)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery that Baffled All of France</em> by Mara Rockliff, ill. Iacopo Bruno (Candlewick)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Poet: the Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton</em> by Don Tate (Peachtree)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova</em> by Laurel Snyder, ill. Julie Morstad (Chronicle)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Tea Party in the Woods</em> by Akiko Miyakoshi (Kids Can Press)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ten Pigs: An Epic Bath Adventure</em> by Derek Anderson (Scholastic)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Traveling Butterflies</em> by Susumu Shingu (Owlkids):</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Two Mice</em> by Sergio Ruzzier (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Two White Rabbits</em> by Jario Buitrago, ill. Rafael Yockteng (Groundwood)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Waiting</em> by Kevin Henkes (HarperCollins): Like an Arthur Miller play</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What James Said</em> by Liz Rosenberg, ill. Matt Myers (Macmillan)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Whisper</em> by Pamela Zagarenski (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Welcome Home, Bear</em> by Il Sung Na (Random House)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Wish</em> by Matthew Cordell (Disney*Hyperion)</li>
<li class="last" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Zen Socks</em> by Jon J Muth (Scholastic)</li>
</ul>
Minhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6474021797721606167.post-51998946801150076332015-05-25T21:16:00.005-04:002015-05-27T23:09:11.908-04:00The New Hip Hop: A Picture Book Playlist by C.G. Esperanza<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: 0px;">
Last week I asked the hyper-talented C.G. Esperanza to play DJ for the day and give us a picture book themed hip-hop playlist. Jump over to the post on Book Riot (<a href="http://bookriot.com/2015/05/24/new-hip-hop-picture-book-playlist-c-g-esperanza/" target="_blank">The New Hip Hop: A Picture Book Playlist by C.G. Esperanza</a>) for the complete playlist, including a special performance of his electrifying debut <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1629146242/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=boorio-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=1629146242" target="_blank">Red, Yellow, Blue (and a Dash of White, Too!)</a>.</div>
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Minhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6474021797721606167.post-29940598525952625052015-05-25T21:15:00.002-04:002015-05-27T23:03:51.420-04:00Social Media Panel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Last week I fortunate enough to be invited by the <a href="http://www.childrensbookguild.org/" target="_blank">Children's Book Guild of D.C.</a> to speak on a <a href="http://childrensbookguildblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">panel about Social Media</a> with some great folks from First Book and National Geographic. I took them at their word that I qualified as an "expert" and hopefully provided some useful insight beyond just, "I think of Twitter kind of like a Junior High Dance... I'm excited to be there, but also really nervous and terrified that I'm going to say something stupid that will be the end of me."</div>
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<br />Minhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6474021797721606167.post-87912583140393503532015-05-25T19:49:00.004-04:002015-05-25T19:49:51.004-04:00Celebrity Selfie Book Club<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: 0px;">
<em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">Note: This post first appeared in <a href="http://bookriot.com/2015/05/18/celebrity-selfie-book-club/" target="_blank">Book Riot on May 18, 2015</a>. </em></div>
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<em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">“Hey, I’m having a really great time with you. Let’s capture the moment by taking a se… cond to read together from my favorite book.”</em></div>
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Inspired in part by the hilariously random <a href="http://selfpoptart.tumblr.com/post/13431803759" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Self Pop Tart</a> meme from a few years ago, I thought it’d be fun (and equally random) to find pictures of people taking selfies and replacing the phones with, of course, books.</div>
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The result is surprisingly sweet. Look at how excited they all are to be reading! Now just imagine if everyone felt this way about sharing their favorite books.</div>
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(Warning: I think this is actually how most Book Riot Contributors are in real life, so be careful if you see one of us walking down the street.)</div>
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<a href="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/mario-lopez-tyra-banks-selfie-book.jpg" rel="lightbox-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="mario lopez tyra banks selfie book" class=" wp-image-79234 aligncenter" height="429" src="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/mario-lopez-tyra-banks-selfie-book.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="572" /></a><a href="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Diddy-Selfie.jpg" rel="lightbox-1" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/tom-hanks-steve-martin-selfie-book.jpg" rel="lightbox-2" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="tom hanks steve martin selfie book" class=" wp-image-79239 aligncenter" height="446" src="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/tom-hanks-steve-martin-selfie-book.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="595" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Rihanna-Book-Selfie1.jpg" rel="lightbox-3" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Celebrity Sightings In New York City - January 10, 2014" class=" wp-image-79238 aligncenter" height="450" src="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Rihanna-Book-Selfie1.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="600" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Oscar-book-selfie.jpg" rel="lightbox-4" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Oscar book-selfie" class=" wp-image-79235 aligncenter" height="438" src="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Oscar-book-selfie.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="584" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Diddy-Selfie.jpg" rel="lightbox-1" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Diddy Selfie" class=" wp-image-79231 aligncenter" height="377" src="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Diddy-Selfie-1024x644.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="600" /></a></div>
Minhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6474021797721606167.post-59184594883442427952015-04-21T00:06:00.004-04:002015-04-21T07:14:59.055-04:00Attention to Detail: Portrait of Thomas Edison<i>Attention to Detail is a feature highlighting overlooked (at least by me) details from some favorite picture books.</i><br />
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Do you know which Caldecott Honor book features this somber portrait of Thomas Edison?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghfQJi2sEO25zMQdjUIurgcNSoYMk8qZB5FWFS2jrajq1KZ5HuKctg5HqIWPxArNrXJCOjAOzbvAIIW-amJ8pP9Y7-n-J_TlshBOgAdGuqYomwFPWqForzC2uD9zWntgKMr98-k2v032Fb/s1600/Edison+Portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghfQJi2sEO25zMQdjUIurgcNSoYMk8qZB5FWFS2jrajq1KZ5HuKctg5HqIWPxArNrXJCOjAOzbvAIIW-amJ8pP9Y7-n-J_TlshBOgAdGuqYomwFPWqForzC2uD9zWntgKMr98-k2v032Fb/s1600/Edison+Portrait.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Do you know? If not, can you guess? </div>
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Answer after the jump:</div>
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Answer: John Rocco's <i>Blackout </i>(Caldecott Honor, 2000)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_floSFYiFh2t1DbaP0nnRtSpd_5cDIopswRWIUThgKjVJXD1qhBafrW_qNEm80mIMhBpAUSdpjFkhbShcd3iYGZPXEJVNClZWS7o5tm48vMNqvFT_AtTlV9PU2F4oECKOYca4GT02oFR/s1600/Blackout+Spread+Highlight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_floSFYiFh2t1DbaP0nnRtSpd_5cDIopswRWIUThgKjVJXD1qhBafrW_qNEm80mIMhBpAUSdpjFkhbShcd3iYGZPXEJVNClZWS7o5tm48vMNqvFT_AtTlV9PU2F4oECKOYca4GT02oFR/s1600/Blackout+Spread+Highlight.jpg" height="250" width="400" /></a></div>
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In a clever detail, right before the lights go out, Rocco sneaks in a portrait of the man widely credited as the inventor of the light bulb (though apparently he <a href="http://www.thomasedison.org/index.php/education/inventions/" target="_blank">actually just drastically improved the design</a>). </div>
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Maybe that's why he looks a little melancholy, the centuries of guilt over getting credit for someone else's invention are taking their toll. Or maybe he's looking worried about the coming blackout because he was <a href="http://unrealfacts.com/thomas-edison-was-afraid-of-the-dark/" target="_blank">afraid of the dark</a>. </div>
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Whatever the reason, well played John Rocco. Well played.</div>
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<span id="goog_1291263942"></span><span id="goog_1291263943"></span><br />Minhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6474021797721606167.post-7299429745397438632015-03-18T15:42:00.002-04:002015-03-18T15:42:33.184-04:00Attention to Detail: Where the Wild Things... Already Were?How did I not notice this before? <br />
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It's a little embarrassing to admit, but I never noticed that at the opening of the book, Max already has a picture of a Wild Thing on his wall labeled "by MAX".<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4tls2Dj6TWBhtlux7fXlicAdBNQ1Q74WowuLftJsmD9VHQ7IErbQWE3ute7k6rk5jEWVMzy6jVCIfbr5EorodoWXRmWVzU8c7ZqYugxR7UMBSEl2H1J3QBy6Owq9hWChtWjqIM8UoZJpR/s1600/Wild+Thing+by+Max.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4tls2Dj6TWBhtlux7fXlicAdBNQ1Q74WowuLftJsmD9VHQ7IErbQWE3ute7k6rk5jEWVMzy6jVCIfbr5EorodoWXRmWVzU8c7ZqYugxR7UMBSEl2H1J3QBy6Owq9hWChtWjqIM8UoZJpR/s1600/Wild+Thing+by+Max.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span id="goog_353544079"></span><span id="goog_353544080"></span><br />Minhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6474021797721606167.post-90803384988285997732015-03-10T15:42:00.001-04:002015-03-10T15:59:03.218-04:00Attention to DetailAnyone recognize this cutie? Can you name the book where this illustration is from?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZnpvf-Y8FieALhprhn6mIvuJOjZJzTlOn5ZV5iNCRX_ffY6yhYrCZtYX9SwOiwhIRCG5ZuskCIzdBBi0W5-1RagJlsA5Sp3y_BpSAIDr_zGrGA_S383hjFKL8uVZlpya71o08Oib-gNk/s1600/Mouse+and+Bus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZnpvf-Y8FieALhprhn6mIvuJOjZJzTlOn5ZV5iNCRX_ffY6yhYrCZtYX9SwOiwhIRCG5ZuskCIzdBBi0W5-1RagJlsA5Sp3y_BpSAIDr_zGrGA_S383hjFKL8uVZlpya71o08Oib-gNk/s1600/Mouse+and+Bus.jpg" height="290" width="400" /></a></div>
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One of my favorite things about picture books is all the little details that illustrators work into their artwork. Problem with this is that some of the loveliest and most whimsical illustrations go undetected for years. For example, I've read the above book hundreds of times and didn't notice this little mouse until just last week. <br />
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So, in an attempt to pay closer attention, I'm trying out a new feature called <b>Attention to Detail </b>where I pick out a small piece of an illustration and see if people can identify the book.<br />
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So do you have what it takes? <br />
Can you figure out which classic picture book this little mouse is from?<br />
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Answer after the jump:<br />
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<i>Answer:</i> A Sick Day for Amos McGee, written by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead<br />
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<br />Minhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6474021797721606167.post-29394975322347707752015-02-16T19:16:00.000-05:002015-02-16T19:16:33.188-05:00The Best is Yet to Come: An Early 2015 Picture Book Preview<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i>Note: This post originally appeared in the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/minhle/2015-picture-book-preview_b_6675276.html" target="_blank">Huffington Post on 2/13/2015</a>.</i></div>
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I've said before that we are in the midst of a golden age for children's literature. Well, if the early returns are any indication, 2015 might very well be a new high water mark in the modern era of picture books. There are a staggering number of great titles this year, and none have caught people's attention more than Matt De La Peña and Christian Robinson's modern classic, <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Last Stop on Market Street</em>.</div>
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If there was one defining theme from 2014's book world, it was the growing demand for diversity (led by the highly influential and successful #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign). <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Last Stop on Market Street</em> is a sophisticated and forceful answer to that call, not because it is a book that is <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">about</em> diversity, but because it is a compelling portrait about family, compassion, and our common humanity -- set in a diverse world.</div>
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De La Peña's finely tuned text conveys a deep wisdom (through the relationship between a boy and his kind but no-nonsense Nana) without ever becoming pedantic and Robinson's illustrations elevate the mundane setting of a bus ride by infusing it with a sense of childlike wonder. A story that strikes that fine balance between being timely and timeless, don't be surprised to see this book making frequent stops during award season (including one to pick up the coveted Caldecott) before taking its deserving place among the all-time greats.</div>
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While <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Last Stop </em>may have set the bar ridiculously high, the year is full of books that rise to meet its challenge. From the hilarious to the heartbreaking, here are some early favorites (in alphabetical order) to keep on your radar:</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Bear Ate Your Sandwich</strong> by Julia Sarcone-Roach (Random House): An unexpected (and possibly unreliable narrator) recounts the tale of a missing sandwich. Sarcone-Roach's clever narration and rich illustrations will leave you hungry for more.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Blue Whale</strong> by Jenni Desmond (Enchanted Lion): A work of nonfiction that understands that true expertise is born out of curiosity. Filtering the storyline through one inquisitive young child, Desmond joyfully presents facts about the earth's largest mammal in a manner that is both accessible and engaging, and will definitely spark the reader's curiosity.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">By Mouse & Frog</strong> by Deborah Freedman (Penguin): All Mouse wants to do is tell a story, but the overly enthusiastic Frog keeps hijacking the narrative. Metafiction with an odd couple cast, by the time the two friends learn the tricky art of collaboration, the book may be over... but their story is just beginning.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage</strong> by Selina Alko, ill. by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko (Scholastic): Interracial marriage may not seem to be a highly contentious issue anymore, but that makes it all the more important to revisit the (very recent) historical struggles and breakthroughs that got us to this point--particularly given that the fight for marriage equality continues in the courts to this day.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Enormous Smallness: A Story of E. E. Cummings</strong> by Matthew Burgess, ill. Kris DiGiacomo (Enchanted Lion): The title of this book (<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Enormous Smallness</em>) is perfect. Many of us think of poems as small things, but as much as anyone, E. E. Cummings showed us that even the smallest stanza could hold enormous meaning. Lovingly written (Burgess is himself a poet) and ingeniously illustrated, this book is a treasure for both fans of Cummings, as well as those discovering his poetry for the first time.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hoot Owl: Master of Disguise</strong> by Sean Taylor, ill. Jean Jullien (Candlewick): A hungry owl with a flair for the dramatic provides his own narration as he flies through the dark enormousness of the night in search of food. By far the most fun read aloud of the year so far, I recommend reading it with your best <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In a World</em> movie trailer voice.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In a Village By the Sea</strong> by Muon Van, ill. by April Chu (Creston): At first glance, <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In a Village By the Sea</em> appears to be a traditional story about family, but Van's clever nesting doll narrative and Chu's playful illustration gives this family's story a healthy sprinkling of magic.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">My Pen</strong> by Christopher Myers (Disney-Hyperion): An invitation for children to explore the infinite possibilities of the blank page, <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">My Pen</em> is a thoughtful meditation on the power of the imagination. Appropriately rendered in black and white to mimic an artist's sketchbook, Myers wants every reader to realize that they have a story to tell. So, what are you waiting for? Pick up that pen and get going.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pool</strong> by JiHyeon Lee (Chronicle): In this wordless adventure, a boy discovers a wonderfully surreal world hidden in the depths of a busy pool. Without saying a word,<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pool</em> speaks directly to introverts like myself, who believe (or at least hope) that if you want to discover something truly special, you have to look <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">beneath the surface</em>.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Red</strong> by Jan De Kinder (Eerdmans): There are plenty of books out there on this topic, but few are this adept at capturing the organic nature of childhood bullying. In <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Red</em>, a young girl laughs at a boy's rosy cheeks and inadvertently sets off a chain reaction that leads to the whole class piling on. De Kinder's intense artwork packs an emotional punch, making it that much more powerful when the girl takes it upon herself, through a lonely act of bravery, to reverse the momentum.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Skunk</strong> by Mac Barnett, ill. Patrick O'Donnell (Macmillan): Question: What would have happened if Alfred Hitchcock directed an episode of Looney Tunes? Answer: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Skunk</em> by Mac Barnett and Patrick O'Donnell.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Supertruck</strong> by Stephen Savage (Macmillan): Look! Up on the shelf! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a brilliantly designed book that kids will love and demand to read over and over again! <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It's SUPERTRUCK!</em></div>
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<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: xx-small;">(Excerpted from This Is Sadie by Sara O'Leary and illustrated by Julie Morstad. Text Copyright © 2015 Sara O'Leary. Illustrations Copyright © 2015 Julie Morstad. Published by Tundra Books, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited, a Penguin Random House Company. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.)</span></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This is Sadie</strong> by Sara O'Leary, ill. Julie Morstad (Tundra): Sadie is a young girl who revels in the power of her imagination and is not limited by silly things like traditional gender constructs. The dynamic duo of O'Leary and Morstad have crafted a quiet but powerful celebration of childhood with a heroine that is a role model for boys and girls alike. Readers should be prepared to reserve a special place on their shelves -- and in their hearts -- for the incomparable Sadie.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Tricky Vic: The Impossibly True Story of the Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower</strong> by Greg Pizzoli (Penguin): Pizzoli's true crime caper is so fun and stylish, don't be surprised to see George Clooney on the big screen as the dashing Robert Miller (aka Count Victor Lustig). As a bonus, the book includes Tricky Vic's "Ten Commandments for Con Artists," which turns out to be surprisingly good advice for everyday use. My favorite is #8: "Never boast. Just let your importance be quietly obvious."</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Trombone Shorty</strong> by Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, ill. Bryan Collier (Abrams): This portrait of a musical prodigy turned musical icon has the benefit of being both true and modern (Trombone Shorty is still only 26 years old). Andrews has a foundation whose mission is to preserve and continue New Orleans' rich musical tradition -- and this book, which is accompanied by Collier's always jaw-dropping art, should help bring more attention to that worthy cause.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Wangari Maathai: The Woman Who Planted Millions of Trees</strong> by Franck Prévot, ill. Aurélia Fronty (Charlesbridge): Inspired in part by one of her mother's favorite expressions ("A tree is worth more than its wood.") Maathai was determined to make a difference -- and in the end she brought profound change to her community, her country (Kenya), and eventually the world. Winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize, this book gorgeously preserves Maathai's life story, which will continue to inspire future generations.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Water is Water: A Book About the Water Cycle</strong> by Miranda Paul, ill. Jason Chin (Macmillan): Creative nonfiction at its best. Chin (who raised eyebrows last year with his innovative nonfiction book <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Gravity</em>), has a confident yet subtle style that brings to mind a modern day Norman Rockwell. Paired with Paul's rhythmically paced text, this exploration of the water cycle will not only teach today's children, but will also serve as a useful refresher for older readers as well.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What a Wonderful World</strong> based on song by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss (as sung by Louis Armstrong), ill. Tim Hopgood (Macmillan): Hopgood does the impossible and makes a song as ubiquitous as <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What a Wonderful World</em> feel fresh again. With dazzling artwork that jumps off the page, the colors of the rainbow never looked prettier.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Wolfie the Bunny</strong> by Ame Dyckman, ill. Zachariah OHora (Little, Brown): With Dyckman's perfect comic timing and OHora's distinctively bold style, this is the most charming book of the year so far. If the cover (which features a wolf cub in a pink bunny jumpsuit) doesn't automatically bring a smile to your face, then watching Dot adjust to life with her new and potentially dangerous sibling will make you want to eat this book all up.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Yard Sale</strong> by Eve Bunting, ill. Lauren Castillo (Candlewick): Facing financial struggles, a family is forced to move into a smaller place -- and as a result, sell most of their belongings. Skillfully and subtly told from the child's perspective, <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Yard Sale</em> is simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming. For you moviegoers out there, Bunting and Castillo (fresh off her Caldecott honor for <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nana in the City</em>) hit the same (bitter)sweetspot as Richard Linklater's critical darling, <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Boyhood</em>.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: xx-small;">(YARD SALE. Text copyright © 2015 by Eve Bunting. Illustrations copyright © 2015 by Lauren Castillo. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.)</span></div>
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But wait, I'm not done yet. Here are twenty more notable titles coming our way in the first part of 2015. Like I said, this is a really strong year for picture books. If the year keeps up this pace, I'm going to have to invest in some new bookshelves.</div>
<ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 15px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World</em> by Charles R. Smith, ill. Shane W. Evans (Macmillan)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ask Me</em> by Bernard Waber, ill. Suzy Lee (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Beautiful Birds</em> by Jean Roussen, ill. Emmanuelle Walker (Flying Eye)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Boats Go</em> by Steve Light (Chronicle)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Boy & the Book</em> by David Michael Slater, ill. Bob Kolar (Charlesbridge)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bulldozer's Big Day</em> by Candace Fleming, ill. Eric Rohmann (Simon & Schuster)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Draw What You See: The Life and Art of Benny Andrews</em> by Kathleen Benson, ill. Benny Andrews (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Finding Spring</em> by Carin Berger (HarperCollins)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Fred</em> by Kaila Eunhye Seo (Peter Pauper Press)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Goodnight Already!</em> by Jory John, ill. Benji Davies (HarperCollins)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I Don't Like Koala</em> by Sean Ferrell, ill. Charles Santoso (Simon & Schuster)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Juna's Jar</em> by Jane Bahk, ill. Felicia Hoshino (Lee & Low)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Little Baby Buttercup</em> by Linda Ashman, ill. You Byun (Penguin)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mahalia Jackson: Walking with Kings and Queens</em> by Nina Nolan, ill. John Holyfield (HarperCollins)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One Family</em> by George Shannon, ill. Blanca Gomez (Macmillan)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Peace is an Offering</em> by Annette Le Box, ill. Stephanie Graegin (Penguin)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Please, Mr. Panda</em> by Steve Antony (Scholastic)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Red: A Crayon's Story</em> by Michael Hall (HarperCollins)</li>
<li style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Up in the Garden, Down in the Dirt</em> by Kate Messner, ill. Christopher Silas Neal (Chronicle)</li>
<li class="last" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Where Bear?</em> by Sophy Henn (Penguin)</li>
</ul>
Minhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6474021797721606167.post-74999243770035711592015-02-09T09:15:00.000-05:002015-02-09T09:20:32.782-05:00Hoot Owl: Master of Disguise (EXCLUSIVE TRAILER PREMIERE)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dkX3UztS1Rg" width="560"></iframe><br />
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I'm excited to reveal the trailer for one of my favorite picture books of the year, <i><a href="http://www.candlewick.com/cat.asp?browse=Title&mode=book&isbn=0763675784&bkview=p&pix=y" target="_blank">Hoot Owl: Master of Disguise</a></i> (by Sean Taylor, illustrated by Jean Jullien). With a sense of humor that will sneak up on readers of all ages, this gem from Candlewick stars a hungry owl with a healthy self-confidence and a flair for the dramatic (he provides his own narration as he flies through the "dark enormousness of the night" in search of food).<br />
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Personally, I think the suspenseful trailer (which is complete with blaring trumpets befitting a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hP9D6kZseM" target="_blank">Christopher Nolan movie</a>) is spot on because I've been reading this book using a faux <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjWKE-IJ4R8" target="_blank">In a World</a> movie trailer voice--which naturally makes this my favorite read aloud of the year.<br />
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So enjoy the trailer and be on the lookout for <i>Hoot Owl</i> on a shelf near you. Not that you'll be able to spot him, of course. They don't call him the Master of Disguise for nothing.<br />
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<i>Note: </i>I'm far from the only one who has fallen for the lovable (if slightly delusional) <i>Hoot Owl</i>. Check out these glowing reviews from <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/features/its-owl-good/" target="_blank">Kirkus </a>(via fellow Nibling Jules) and the <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB21877462091333523295904580442021560826274" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal</a>.Minhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6474021797721606167.post-85901241904272937172015-02-05T01:13:00.000-05:002016-01-22T16:27:58.655-05:00Extreme Caldecott PlacementThis was the week that everyone in the world of children's literature looks forward to, the week when the <a href="http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2015/02/american-library-association-announces-2015-youth-media-award-winners" target="_blank">ALA announces its annual award winners and honorees</a>. Since my thing is picture books, of all the prestigious awards, the one I wait for with baited breath is the Caldecott. <br />
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And one of the most exciting moments of the whole event is when the coveted (and lucrative) stickers are finally placed on the winning covers.<br />
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But why stop there?<br />
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With such a huge honor, I think it's time we started really flaunting it. Why not sneak in the Caldecott seal <i>in </i>the actual books? Who's with me? <br />
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Let's give it a shot. First, the honorees:<br />
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<b>VIVA FRIDA</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">by <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 21px;">Yuyí </span> Morales</span></div>
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<b>NANA IN THE CITY</b></div>
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by Lauren Castillo</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>THE NOISY PAINTBOX: THE COLORS AND SOUNDS OF KANDINSKY'S ABSTRACT ART </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">illustrated by Mary GrandPr<span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; text-align: left;">é, written</span> by Barb Rosenstock </span></div>
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<b>THE RIGHT WORD: ROGET AND HIS THESAURUS</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>THIS ONE SUMMER</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">illustrated by Jillian Tamaki, written by Mariko Tamaki </span></span></div>
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illustrated by Jon Klassen, written by Mac Barnett</div>
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and last but not least, this year's Caldecott Medal Winner:</div>
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<b>THE ADVENTURES OF BEEKLE: THE UNIMAGINARY FRIEND</b></div>
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by Dan Santat</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwl9h8mPqgAayuxLocmzg31nsjYBGqCy2BRHpyJG9wPnEchM9tSjjjshuV_ntkXOfpc415wlm_1O1DjIN4Rs0LWGQEims4xbNtTAGiiZtyDQa6Zj53hP8ARGrSBMRTfJS9yftqbknnUtZN/s1600/Beekle+Caldecott.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwl9h8mPqgAayuxLocmzg31nsjYBGqCy2BRHpyJG9wPnEchM9tSjjjshuV_ntkXOfpc415wlm_1O1DjIN4Rs0LWGQEims4xbNtTAGiiZtyDQa6Zj53hP8ARGrSBMRTfJS9yftqbknnUtZN/s1600/Beekle+Caldecott.jpg" /></a></div>
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Congratulations to all the winners... you've earned it, so don't be shy about showing it off.</div>
<br />Minhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6474021797721606167.post-25876333343715085002015-02-03T12:00:00.000-05:002015-02-03T12:47:49.283-05:00Allow Me to Introduce Myself<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">When Jules <a href="http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/?p=2518" target="_blank">first announced the formation of the Niblings</a> back in 2013, I was ridiculously giddy. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/" target="_blank">Jules</a>, <a href="http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/" target="_blank">Betsy</a>, <a href="http://100scopenotes.com/" target="_blank">Travis</a>, and <a href="http://www.philnel.com/" target="_blank">Phil</a> were already four of the first people I would go to for anything kidlit related and then,</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">VOILA!</i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">, my life was made that much easier by having them all together in one place. Meaning that, for purely selfish reasons, I was ecstatic to see these four join forces.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">So you can imagine what an immense honor and delight it was when they asked me to join the Niblings--and along with the insanely-talented <a href="http://www.mitaliblog.com/p/welcome-to-my-virtual-fire-escape.html" target="_blank">Mitali Perkins</a> at that. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Now I just have to keep up my end of the bargain and contribute. Eep.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">As a first step, I thought I'd take a moment to introduce myself by taking a deep dive into my </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">archives. This should give you a pretty good idea (and fair warning) about what to expect from your newest Nibling. So, without further ado: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">SOME FAVORITE POSTS FROM THE BOTTOM SHELF BOOKS ARCHIVES</span></b> <i style="color: #222222;">(a.k.a. Posts that Did Not Make Me Cringe Immediately Upon Re-reading)</i></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/minhle/best-picture-books-of-201_1_b_6252098.html" target="_blank">Best Picture Books of 2014 (Huffington Post)</a>: My favorite thing about writing is having a platform from which to share books that I love... like this year's newly-minted Caldecott medalist: <i>The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend</i>, which I just <a href="http://bookriot.com/2014/04/09/unimaginable-interview-beekles-dan-santat/" target="_blank">could not stop talking about</a>. Seriously, I was <a href="https://twitter.com/bottomshelfbks/status/528224344473088000" target="_blank">mildly obsessed</a> with this wonderful book.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwbkrcWgWfKnBOtP-2Uf5mUS23ArqAG4vPG-hBC4AXWp0bOKkQczfBR9eLvHudMtjhxAsUTMJ_EVK7FG-mt8CuC7KUQyUuVhgOzo-EIGzF8-Id_vRZhWsQgw2C-r-BVIp_bL5FJu37IlID/s1600/BEEKLE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwbkrcWgWfKnBOtP-2Uf5mUS23ArqAG4vPG-hBC4AXWp0bOKkQczfBR9eLvHudMtjhxAsUTMJ_EVK7FG-mt8CuC7KUQyUuVhgOzo-EIGzF8-Id_vRZhWsQgw2C-r-BVIp_bL5FJu37IlID/s1600/BEEKLE.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.bottomshelfbooks.com/2013/02/willems-shakespeare-presents-hamlet.html" target="_blank">Willems Shakespeare presents: Hamlet (starring Pigeon)</a><br />
Two of literature's most tortured characters, together at last. (Biggest compliment: a teacher friend of mine used this to teach Hamlet's famous soliloquy and it was a big hit.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAtJgy770zEzNkJyuleUoqqpInnziN6dA7Iny9tqKzkqd_bcU7cCBiOgP2Bgd4AjvPp-rFjNt21khoGhtzNKAyuNpVf_7uxLWk1Y43Us3EKswcjT4oxuavRfQiFWG9Iae4qqoHg5M6X99/s1600/Willems+Shakespeare.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAtJgy770zEzNkJyuleUoqqpInnziN6dA7Iny9tqKzkqd_bcU7cCBiOgP2Bgd4AjvPp-rFjNt21khoGhtzNKAyuNpVf_7uxLWk1Y43Us3EKswcjT4oxuavRfQiFWG9Iae4qqoHg5M6X99/s1600/Willems+Shakespeare.JPG" height="400" width="360" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://bookriot.com/2013/09/17/lets-put-james-franco-book-covers/" target="_blank">Let's Put James Franco on All the Book Covers</a></div>
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Not entirely kidlit related, but following last year's brouhaha about James Franco on the cover of <i>As I Lay Dying</i>, I decided to have some fun and put him on ALL the book covers.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTMSRfJEwwUc64Hf3IqYAjr3wwz1y8x08w26btGYDHQG5AGkT-3HjORTY5hn_vv3HjrZ8OwCpM9iPKz1SsDXGfF1pPp3mGkQhBiQPQOQwuPjM3DDkLwEiIkHsl-g0WYl_WutF7B1uljV3E/s1600/FRANCO-lolita.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTMSRfJEwwUc64Hf3IqYAjr3wwz1y8x08w26btGYDHQG5AGkT-3HjORTY5hn_vv3HjrZ8OwCpM9iPKz1SsDXGfF1pPp3mGkQhBiQPQOQwuPjM3DDkLwEiIkHsl-g0WYl_WutF7B1uljV3E/s1600/FRANCO-lolita.jpg" height="322" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://bookriot.com/2013/07/16/love-you-forever-5-of-hollywoods-sexiest-men-read-to-you-from-childrens-classics/" target="_blank">Love You Forever: 5 of Hollywood's Sexiest Men Read to You from Children's Books</a></div>
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Warning: Swooning may ensue... also, be warned that some of these do come off a taaaaad bit on the creepy/stalkery side.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRzdVQCf-sNF6QIjxBZ-1IYTi9e_MdmZnXJsg5mtjr7pvz4QXZRzjad4ykvC_n35qzi6LlLxBx1hTKneXXSAFGrMPlFxekzek1qzHrQVB99MeWZ5NzHmiltapMnf90DpHQIE1gFn0Hcyu-/s1600/Idris-Elba-Childrens-Books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRzdVQCf-sNF6QIjxBZ-1IYTi9e_MdmZnXJsg5mtjr7pvz4QXZRzjad4ykvC_n35qzi6LlLxBx1hTKneXXSAFGrMPlFxekzek1qzHrQVB99MeWZ5NzHmiltapMnf90DpHQIE1gFn0Hcyu-/s1600/Idris-Elba-Childrens-Books.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://bookriot.com/2014/10/07/picture-book-adaptations-need-to-happen/" target="_blank">Picture Book Adaptations That (Sort of) Need to Happen</a></div>
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Tired of seeing your childhood favorites desecrated on the big screen? Well, you ain't seen nothin yet.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcoTFxLFIuKWEG-KPc3NKGArEQ3SkaxXDhbDr9D4YzARyxxuE5RZ3BtmYpqo0KG4bCqPrpOD4ZZszj1Y0QjNfRzPUYSs6kuzYdYykdmdZIhR_Y35NVbIJFXAKr06cT37N9Wp6j2BQxOKRL/s1600/Dont-Let-the-Pigeon-Drive-the-Bus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcoTFxLFIuKWEG-KPc3NKGArEQ3SkaxXDhbDr9D4YzARyxxuE5RZ3BtmYpqo0KG4bCqPrpOD4ZZszj1Y0QjNfRzPUYSs6kuzYdYykdmdZIhR_Y35NVbIJFXAKr06cT37N9Wp6j2BQxOKRL/s1600/Dont-Let-the-Pigeon-Drive-the-Bus.jpg" height="222" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/pageviews/dr-seuss-dostoevsky-literary-guide-new-parent-blog-entry-1.1637997" target="_blank">From Dr. Seuss to Dostoevsky: A Literary Guide for the New Parent</a> (New York Daily News)<br />
If you've never noticed the similarities between Jonathan Franzen and the Lorax, consider taking a second look.<br />
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<a href="http://www.bottomshelfbooks.com/search/label/Punk%20Farm%20Interview" target="_blank">The Punk Farm Interviews</a>: Pretty early on in my blogging life, I somehow convinced the incredible (and incredibly game) Jarrett Krosoczka to let me conduct a Rolling Stone style interview with the members of Punk Farm. These are those exclusive interviews.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeo24ysInc7QhHLXQ-N6oUSrBTA5rW8zNcp6o9ixztYweGM9EFX8w61YeilSMbasBpz79Ag2aXwoohDg1gFl-86qOTNo0k2uUlkFi61oKqid6K1weNG-GiuBcy003HXX1b_SwuYEwyc9cS/s1600/punk+farm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeo24ysInc7QhHLXQ-N6oUSrBTA5rW8zNcp6o9ixztYweGM9EFX8w61YeilSMbasBpz79Ag2aXwoohDg1gFl-86qOTNo0k2uUlkFi61oKqid6K1weNG-GiuBcy003HXX1b_SwuYEwyc9cS/s1600/punk+farm.jpg" height="311" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.bottomshelfbooks.com/2007/03/frog-and-toad-are-friends.html?q=frog+and+toad" target="_blank">Frog and Toad are Friends</a>: Another example of an early post, all of which mainly consisted of picking a picture book from my shelf and riffing on it for a few paragraphs. Full disclosure: I started the blog in the midst of a prolonged job search, so these posts were really just an excuse not to write yet another cover letter.
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Minhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6474021797721606167.post-36940763683363238892015-01-18T22:05:00.002-05:002015-01-18T22:05:20.135-05:00One More Look: Favorite Picture Book Art of 2014<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: 0px;">
<i>This post originally appeared on <a href="http://bookriot.com/2015/01/09/one-look-favorite-picture-book-art-2014/" target="_blank">Book Riot on January 9, 2015</a>.</i></div>
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Amidst the flurry of end-of-year lists, I started getting to get nostalgic for <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/minhle/best-picture-books-of-201_1_b_6252098.html" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">all the great books that we’d be leaving behind in 2014</a> — then I remembered that we get to take them with us into 2015. PHEW.</div>
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That being said, before we turn our full attention to 2015 (which is already shaping up to be an <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">incredible</em> year for picture books), I thought it’d be fun to take at least one more look at the past year. So, without further ado, here (in alphabetical order by illustrator) is some of my favorite picture book art from the year that was.</div>
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<a href="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Acrobat.jpg" rel="lightbox-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Acrobat" class="wp-image-73561 aligncenter" height="266" src="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Acrobat-1024x549.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="496" /></a></div>
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Illustrator: Alborozo; <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1846436346/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=1846436346" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">The Acrobat</a></em> (Child’s Play)</div>
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<a href="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/FoxGarden.jpg" rel="lightbox-1" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="FoxGarden" class="wp-image-73566 aligncenter" height="147" src="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/FoxGarden-1024x296.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="507" /></a></div>
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Illustrator: Princesse Cam Cam; <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1592701671/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=1592701671" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Fox’s Garden</a></em> (Enchanted Lion)</div>
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<a href="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Nana-in-the-City.jpg" rel="lightbox-2" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Nana in the City" class="wp-image-73582 aligncenter" height="250" src="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Nana-in-the-City-1024x512.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="500" /></a></div>
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Illustrator: Lauren Castillo; <i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0544104439/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0544104439" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Nana in the City</a></i> (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)</div>
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Illustrator: Jason Chin; <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1596437170/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=1596437170" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Gravity</a></em> (Macmillan)</div>
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<a href="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Abuelo_pg32.jpg" rel="lightbox-4" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Abuelo_pg32" class="wp-image-73887 aligncenter" height="494" src="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Abuelo_pg32-837x1024.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="404" /></a></div>
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Illustrator: Raúl Colón; <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061686271/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0061686271" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Abuelo</a></em> by Arthur Dorros (HarperCollins)</div>
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<a href="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Little-Elliot-Big-City.jpg" rel="lightbox-5" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Little Elliot Big City" class="wp-image-73578 aligncenter" height="325" src="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Little-Elliot-Big-City-1024x662.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="503" /></a></div>
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Illustrator: Mike Curato; <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0805098259/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0805098259" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Little Elliot, Big City</a></em> (Macmillan)</div>
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Illustrator: Benji Davies; <i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0805099670/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0805099670" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">The Storm Whale</a></i> (Macmillan)</div>
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<a href="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/The-Fox-and-the-Crow.jpg" rel="lightbox-7" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="The Fox and the Crow" class="wp-image-73591 aligncenter" height="248" src="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/The-Fox-and-the-Crow-1024x495.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="511" /></a></div>
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Illustrator: Culpeo S. Fox; <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/818190303X/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=818190303X" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">The Fox and the Crow</a></em> by Manasi Subramanian (Karadi Tales)</div>
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<a href="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Farmer-and-the-Clown.jpg" rel="lightbox-8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Farmer and the Clown" class="wp-image-73565 aligncenter" height="202" src="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Farmer-and-the-Clown-1024x411.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="503" /></a></div>
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Illustrator: Marla Frazee; <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1442497440/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=1442497440" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">The Farmer and the Clown</a></em> (Simon & Schuster)</div>
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<a href="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/NOISY-PAINT.jpg" rel="lightbox-9" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="NOISY PAINT" class="wp-image-73584 aligncenter" height="321" src="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/NOISY-PAINT-1024x662.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="496" /></a></div>
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Illustrator: Mary GrandPré; <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307978486/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0307978486" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">The Noisy Paintbox: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art</a></em> by Barb Rosenstock (Random House)</div>
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<a href="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/WorkAnOccupationalABC.jpg" rel="lightbox-10" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="WorkAnOccupationalABC" class="wp-image-73595 aligncenter" height="254" src="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/WorkAnOccupationalABC-1024x512.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="508" /></a></div>
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Illustrator: Kellen Hatanaka; <i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1554984092/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=1554984092" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Work: An Occupational ABC</a></i> (Groundwood)</div>
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<a href="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Shhh.jpg" rel="lightbox-11" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Shhh" class="wp-image-73587 aligncenter" height="262" src="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Shhh-1024x532.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="504" /></a>Illustrator: Chris Haughton; <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0763672939/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0763672939" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Shh! We Have a Plan</a></em> (Copyright © 2014 by Chris Haughton. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA on behalf of Walker Books London)</div>
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Illustrator: Hadley Hooper; <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1596439483/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=1596439483" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">The Iridescence of Birds: A Book About Henri Matisse</a></em> by Patricia MacLachlan (Macmillan)</div>
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Illustrator: Icinori (Mayumi Otero and Raphaël Urwiller); <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/3899557182/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=3899557182" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Issun Boshi: The One-Inch Boy</a></em> (copyright Gestalten 2014)</div>
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Illustrator: Gary Kelley; <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1568462468/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=1568462468" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Harlem Hellfighters</a></em> by J. Patrick Lewis (Creative Editions)</div>
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Illustrator: Max Kornell; <i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399159975/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0399159975" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Me First</a></i> (Penguin)</div>
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Illustrator: Isabelle Malenfant; <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1554983479/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=1554983479" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress</a></em> by Christine Baldacchino (Groundwood)</div>
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Illustrator: Nikki McClure; <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/419710249/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=419710249" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">May the Stars Drip Down</a></em> by Jeremy Chatelain (Abrams)</div>
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Illustrator: Jöns Mellgren; <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/3899557166/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=3899557166" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Elsa and the Night</a></em> (copyright Gestalten 2014)</div>
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Illustrator: Yuyí Morales and Tim O’Meara; <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1596436034/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=1596436034" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Viva Frida</a></em> (Macmillan)</div>
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Illustrator: Frank Morrison; <i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1600608981/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=1600608981" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Little Melba and Her Big Trombone</a></i> by Katheryn Russell-Brown (Lee & Low)</div>
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Illustrator: Bethanie Murguia; <i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316212008/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0316212008" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Violet and Victor Write the Best-Ever Bookworm Book</a></i>by Alice Kuipers (Little, Brown)</div>
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<a href="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Hi-Koo_Minh.jpg" rel="lightbox-22" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Hi, Koo_Minh" class="wp-image-73739 aligncenter" height="444" src="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Hi-Koo_Minh.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="498" /></a>Illustrator: Jon J Muth; <i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0545166683/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0545166683" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Hi, Koo! A Year of Seasons</a></i> (Scholastic)</div>
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Illustrator: Alexandria Neonakis; <i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1927095778/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=1927095778" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Sweetest Kulu</a></i> by Celina Kalluk (Inhabit Media)</div>
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Illustrator: Greg Pizzoli; <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/142317111X/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=142317111X" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Number One Sam</a></em> (Disney-Hyperion)</div>
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Illustrator: Chris Raschka; <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0763658065/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0763658065" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">The Cosmobiography of Sun Ra: The Sound of Joy Is Enlightening</a></em> (Copyright © 2014 by Chris Raschka. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.)</div>
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<a href="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Gus-and-Me-crop.jpg" rel="lightbox-26" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Gus and Me crop" class="wp-image-73740 aligncenter" height="261" src="https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Gus-and-Me-crop-1024x511.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="522" /></a></div>
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Illustrator: Theodora Richards; <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/031632065X/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=031632065X" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Gus & Me: The Story of My Granddad and My First Guitar</a></em> by Keith Richards (Little, Brown)</div>
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Illustrator: Christian Robinson; <i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1452103143/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=1452103143" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker</a></i> by Patricia Hruby Powell (Chronicle)</div>
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Illustrator: Isabel Roxas; <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1454904461/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=1454904461" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Goodnight Songs: Illustrated by Twelve Award-Winning Picture Book Artists</a></em> by Margaret Wise Brown (Sterling)</div>
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Illustrator: Greg Ruth; <i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250055474/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=1250055474" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Coming Home</a></i> (Macmillan)</div>
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Illustrator: Kamako Sakai; <i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1877579548/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=1877579548" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Hannah’s Night</a></i> (Gecko)</div>
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Illustrator: Anca Sandu; <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1561457388/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=1561457388" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Churchill’s Tale of Tails</a></em> (Text and illustrations © 2012 by Anca Sandu. Permission to reproduce granted by Peachtree Publishers.)</div>
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Illustrator: Dan Santat; <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316199982/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0316199982" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend</a></em> (Little, Brown)</div>
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Illustrator: David Soman; <i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0803739931/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0803739931" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Three Bears in a Boat</a></i> (Penguin)</div>
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Illustrator: Melissa Sweet; <i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/802853854/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=802853854" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus</a></i> by Jen Bryant (Eerdmans)</div>
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Illustrator: Shaun Tan; <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0545639123/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0545639123" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Rules of Summer</a></em> (Scholastic)</div>
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Illustrator: Katie Viggers; <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1576876802/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=1576876802" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">1 to 20, Animals Aplenty</a></em> (POW!)</div>
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Illustrator: Anna Walker; <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0544259009/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0544259009" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Peggy: A Brave Chicken on a Big Adventure</a></em> (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)</div>
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Illustrator: Brian Won; <i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0544159039/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0544159039" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Hooray for Hat!</a></i> (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)</div>
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Illustrator: Taeeun Yoo; <i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316084794/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0316084794" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Hands Say Love</a></i> by George Shannon (Little, Brown)</div>
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Illustrator: Cybèle Young (Excerpted from <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=2211454,2211455&redir=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/770494820/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=undefined&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=770494820" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Buy from Amazon">Nancy Knows</a></em> by Cybèle Young. Copyright © 2014 by Cybèle Young. Reprinted by permission of Tundra Books, a division of Random House of Canada, a Penguin Random House company. All rights reserved.)</div>
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Minhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6474021797721606167.post-87404562029918373642014-12-07T23:35:00.003-05:002014-12-07T23:38:25.863-05:00Best Picture Books of 2014<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Originally posted on the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/minhle/best-picture-books-of-201_1_b_6252098.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular" target="_blank">Huffington Post (12-2-2014)</a></span><br />
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After the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/minhle/best-picture-books-of-201_b_4378532.html" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">last fantastic year in picture books</a>, it was hard to imagine 2014 reaching the same heights. And indeed, my initial impression was that this year's offerings fell short of 2013's stellar crop. However, as I sifted and sorted through the piles of books to put this end-of-year post together, the list of quality books kept growing. By the end, I was as convinced as ever that we are living in a new golden age of picture books.</div>
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Many of the wonderful titles below could stand shoulder to shoulder with the best of any year, and leading the charge is a marshmallowy fellow with a scotch-taped crown determined to do the unimaginable.<br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Overall</strong><br />
<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend</em> by Dan Santat (Little Brown)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-12-02-BEEKLE.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2014-12-02-BEEKLE.jpg" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-12-02-BEEKLE-thumb.jpg" height="380" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a><br />
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As the categories for this post emerged (Most Charming, Best Adventure, Most Touching, etc.), it became clear that <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Beekle </em>was my choice for the Best Overall because it could have easily topped almost every category (I admit, Best History/Non-fiction would have been a bit of a stretch).<br />
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The story opens on an island where imaginary friends are born and takes us on a journey that navigates themes of loneliness and the power of the imagination while also folding in some deft postmodern flourishes and playful skewering of the adult world. Santat harnesses all of his prodigious talents for a story that is both deeply personal (he was <a href="http://bookriot.com/2014/04/09/unimaginable-interview-beekles-dan-santat/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">inspired by the birth of his first child</a>) and brilliantly universal.<br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Biography (Artist)</strong><br />
<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker</em> by Patricia Hruby Powell, ill. Christian Robinson (Chronicle)</div>
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With its winning combination of style and substance, Josephine stands out in this particularly deep category (both <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Viva Frida</em> and <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Iridescence of Birds</em> are strong contenders for children's lit awards). Powell's text dances across the page and Robinson's illustrations leap forth with playful vitality, together painting a complex portrait of how Baker was shaped by society and how she in turn transformed society for the better.<br />
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<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Note:</em> If Robinson (who has several notable books out this year) doesn't win this year's Caldecott, then next year could be the one with his name on it. His remarkable <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Last Stop on Market Street</em> (with Matt de la Peña), is an early favorite for the best picture book of 2015.<br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Viva Frida</em> by Yuyí Morales, photos by Tim O'Meara; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Iridescence of Birds: A Book about Henri Matisse</em> by Patricia MacLachlan, ill. Hadley Hooper; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Little Melba and Her Big Trombone</em> by Katheryn Russell-Brown, ill. Frank Morrison; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Noisy Paintbox: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky's Abstract Art</em> by Barb Rosenstock, ill. Mary GrandPré; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Cosmobiography of Sun Ra</em> by Chris Raschka; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Firebird</em> by Misty Copeland, ill. Christopher Myers)</span><br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Biography (Non-Artist)</strong><br />
<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus</em> by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet (Eerdmans)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-12-02-RIGHTWORD.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2014-12-02-RIGHTWORD.jpg" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-12-02-RIGHTWORD-thumb.jpg" height="391" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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Finding order in the world around you is one of the primary objectives of childhood, but for someone like Roget, it was a lifetime occupation/obsession. The dynamic duo of Bryant and Sweet (who previously collaborated on biographies of Horace Pippin and William Carlos Williams) artfully capture the magnitude of Roget's achievement and blows the dust off that often overlooked reference book sitting on your shelf.<br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation</em> by Duncan Tonatiuh; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Pilot and the Prince: The Life of Antoine De Saint Exupéry</em> by Peter Sís; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A Boy and a Jaguar</em> by Allan Rabinowitz, ill. CaTia Chen; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ivan: the Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla</em> by Katherine Applegate, illustrated by G. Brian Karas; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Grandfather Gandhi</em> by Arun Gandhi and Bethany Hegedus, ill. Evan Turk; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I am Jazz</em>by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, ill. Shelagh McNicholas; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos</em> by Stephanie Roth Sisson)</span><br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Friendship</strong><br />
<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Farmer and the Clown</em> by Marla Frazee (Simon & Schuster)</div>
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Though we may not use as much makeup as the clown in this story, the truth is that we all wear masks of one kind or another. Frazee's wordless masterpiece reminds readers that it's not until we take off our masks and make ourselves vulnerable that our relationships truly have a chance to thrive.<br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Lion and the Bird</em> by Marriane Dubuc; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Storm Whale</em> by Benji Davies; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A Letter for Leo</em> by Sergio Ruzzier; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Madame Martine</em> by Sarah S. Brannen; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Where's Mommy?</em> by Beverly Donofrio, ill. Barbara McClintock; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Waiting is Not Easy!</em> by Mo Willems)</span><br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Adventure</strong><br />
<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sam and Dave Dig a Hole </em>by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen (Candlewick)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-12-02-SamandDave.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2014-12-02-SamandDave.jpg" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-12-02-SamandDave-thumb.jpg" height="384" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a><br />
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">SAM AND DAVE DIG A HOLE. Text copyright © 2014 by Mac Barnett. Illustrations copyright © 2014 by Jon Klassen. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.</span><br />
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Sam and Dave dig a hole, hoping to find something spectacular. Luckily, Barnett and Klassen deal regularly in the spectacular, ensuring that Sam and Dave (and readers) do not walk away disappointed. Part wry comedy of errors, part Twilight Zone, if you're digging through your shelves for something spectacular, look no further.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Three Bears in a Boat</em> by David Soman; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Quest</em> by Aaron Becker; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lindbergh: The Tale of a Flying Mouse</em> by Torben Kuhlmann; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Peggy: A Brave Chicken on a Big Adventure</em> by Anna Walker; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Flashlight</em> by Lizi Boyd; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sebastian and the Balloon</em> by Philip C. Stead; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hopper and Wilson Fetch a Star</em> by Maria Van Lieshout; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Blizzard</em> by John Rocco)</span><br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Most Charming</strong><br />
<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Little Elliot, Big City</em> by Mike Curato (Macmillan)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-12-02-LittleElliotBigCity.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2014-12-02-LittleElliotBigCity.jpg" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-12-02-LittleElliotBigCity-thumb.jpg" height="368" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a><br />
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Little Elliot may be a shy little elephant, but don't be surprised to see him take the world by storm. One of the more endearing children's book characters to come along in a while, imagine Corduroy wandering into an Edward Hopper painting and you'll get a sense of the magic that is Little Elliot.<br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Gaston</em> by Kelly DiPucchio, ill. Christian Robinson; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">100 Things That Make Me Happy</em> by Amy Schwartz; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Jacket</em> by Kirsten Hall, ill. Dasha Tolstikova; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Number One Sam</em>by Greg Pizzoli; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A Gift for Mama</em> by Linda Ravin Lodding, ill. Alison Jay; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hi Koo! A Year of Seasons</em> by Jon J. Muth; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Boy on the Page</em> by Peter Carnavas; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Acrobat</em> by Alborozo)</span><br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Concept Book</strong><br />
<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 to 20, Animals Aplenty</em> by Katie Viggers (POW!)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-12-02-AnimalsAplenty.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2014-12-02-AnimalsAplenty.jpg" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-12-02-AnimalsAplenty-thumb.jpg" height="285" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a></div>
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From pigs wearing wigs to chickens reading Dickens, Viggers peppers each page with enough whimsical detail and dry wit to make counting to twenty feel like spending an afternoon sipping chai tea with Wes Anderson.<br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Once Upon an Alphabet: Short Stories for All the Letters</em> by Oliver Jeffers;<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Work: An Occupational ABC</em> by Kellen Hatanaka; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Take Away the A</em> by Michaël Escoffier and Kris Di Giacomo; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Awake Beautiful Child</em> by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, ill. Gracia Lam; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Alphabetabum: An Album of Rare Photographs and Medium Verses</em> by Vladimir Radunsky and Chris Raschka;<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hands & Hearts: With 15 Words in American Sign Language</em> by Donna Jo Napoli, illustrated by Amy Bates)</span><br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Dark/Mysterious</strong><br />
<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Elsa and the Night</em> by Jöns Mellgren (Little Gestalten)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-12-02-elsaandthenight.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2014-12-02-elsaandthenight.jpg" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-12-02-elsaandthenight-thumb.jpg" height="344" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a><br />
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">By Jöns Mellgren from Elsa and the Night copyright Gestalten 2014</span><br />
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In this beautifully dark and touching tale, Elsa struggles to cope with the loss of a dear friend (a struggle that manifests itself in an epic 30 year bout of insomnia). With the help of a mysterious visitor, she is finally able to put her grief to rest and find enough peace to accept a good night's sleep.<br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Fox and the Crow</em> by Manasi Subramaniam, ill. Culpeo S. Fox; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The River</em>by Alessandro Sanna; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Promise</em> by Nicola Davies, ill. Laura Carlin; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Rules of Summer</em> by Shaun Tan; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Aviary Wonders</em> by Kate Samworth; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Wall</em> by Tom Cholosy Cole; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Fox's Garden</em> by Princesse Camcam)</span><br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best about Family</strong><br />
<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nana in the City</em> by Lauren Castillo (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-12-02-NanaintheCity.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2014-12-02-NanaintheCity.jpg" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-12-02-NanaintheCity-thumb.jpg" height="285" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a><br />
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A little boy spends the night with his nana in a city that he finds busy, loud and scary -- in short, no place for a nana to live. However, the boy (with the help of a homemade cape) learns to see the city from a different perspective, and in the process sees his dynamic Nana in a whole new light.<br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Me First</em> by Max Kornell; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Abuelo</em> by Arthur Dorros, ill. Raúl Colón ; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hands Say Love</em> by George Shannon, ill. Taeeun Yoo; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Here is the Baby</em> by Polly Kanevsky, ill. Taeeun Yoo;<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">My Grandfather's Coat</em> by Jim Aylesworth, ill. Barbara McClintock; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Gus & Me: The Story of My Granddad and My First Guitar</em> by Keith Richards, ill. Theodora Richards; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Forget Me Not</em> by Nancy Van Laan, ill. Stephanie Graegin; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bad Bye, Good Bye</em> by Deborah Underwood, ill. Jonathan Bean)</span><br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Most Fun/Silliest</strong><br />
<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Churchill's Tale of Tails</em> by Anca Sandu (Peachtree)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-12-02-Churchill.JPG" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2014-12-02-Churchill.JPG" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-12-02-Churchill-thumb.JPG" height="252" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a><br />
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">Text and illustrations © 2012 by Anca Sandu. Permission to reproduce granted by Peachtree Publishers.</span><br />
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A pig loses his tail and becomes preoccupied with trying on replacements. I'm not familiar enough with British history to tell you if the "Churchill" reference belies an underlying political message, but regardless of any historical implications, the pure silliness of Churchill's search makes this British import a winner.<br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Shh! We Have a Plan</em> by Chris Haughton; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hug Machine</em> by Scott Campbell;<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Louise Loves Art</em> by Kelly Light; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Thank You, Octopus</em> by Darren Farrell; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A Perfectly Messed-Up Story</em> by Patrick McDonnell; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pigeon Needs a Bath! (I Do Not.)</em> by Mo Willems; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">My Teacher is a Monster (No, I Am Not.)</em> by Peter Brown)</span><br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best History/Non-Fiction</strong><br />
<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sugar Hill: Harlem's First Historic Neighborhood</em> by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie (Albert Whitman)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-12-02-SugarHill.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2014-12-02-SugarHill.jpg" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-12-02-SugarHill-thumb.jpg" height="354" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a><br />
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It is impossible not to be blown away by the staggering collection of talent and intellect gracing the streets of Sugar Hill. Weatherford and Christie's portrait of the historic neighborhood will give readers a new appreciation for the rarefied air of the Harlem Renaissance.<br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Shackleton's Journey</em> by William Gill; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Harlem Hellfighters</em> by J. Patrick Lewis, ill. Gary Kelley; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Summoning the Phoenix</em> by Emily Jiang, ill. April Chu; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Gravity</em> by Jason Chin; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Creature Features: Twenty-Five Animals Explain Why They Look the Way They Do</em> by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Neighborhood Sharks</em> by Katherine Roy)</span><br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Most Touching/Heartwarming</strong><br />
<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I Know a Bear</em> by Mariana Ruiz Johnson (Random House)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-12-02-IKnowaBear.jpeg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2014-12-02-IKnowaBear.jpeg" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-12-02-IKnowaBear-thumb.jpeg" height="290" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a><br />
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">c/o Random House Children's Publishing.</span></div>
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Children's literature is crowded with books set in zoos -- which only makes sense because they offer a convenient setting in which to showcase a broad array of animals.<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I Know a Bear</em> is a refreshing counterbalance that considers the melancholy side of the zoo through the eyes of a young child who befriends a bear living in captivity.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Girl and the Bicycle</em> by Mark Pett; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Star Child</em> by Claire Nivola; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Dandelion's Tale</em> by Kevin Sheehan, ill. Rob Dunlavey; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Here I Am</em> by Patti Kim and Sonia Sánchez;<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dance Like Starlight: One Ballerina's Dream</em> by Kristy Dempsey, ill. Floyd Cooper; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress</em> by Christine Baldacchino, ill. by Isabelle Malenfant; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Coming Home</em> by Greg Ruth; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">King for a Day</em> by by Rukhsana Khan, ill. Christiane Krömer; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hug Me</em> by Simona Ciraolo; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Emily's Blue Period</em> by Cathleen Daly, ill. Lisa Brown)</span><br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Bedtime</strong><br />
<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sweetest Kulu</em> by Celina Kalluk, illustrated by Alexandria Neonakis (Inhabit Media)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-12-02-SweetestKulu.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2014-12-02-SweetestKulu.jpg" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-12-02-SweetestKulu-thumb.jpg" height="228" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a><br />
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Shimmering with musical text (Kalluk is a renowned Inuit throat singer) and stunning illustrations, Sweetest Kulu shows the hopes and dreams that accompany the arrival of a new child. For those who consider the bedtime story to be sacred, it's hard to do better than ending the day with the whispered incantation: "because you are true love."<br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">May the Stars Drip Down</em> by Jeremy Chatelain, ill. Nikki McClure;<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hannah's Night</em> by Komako Sakai; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Naptime</em> by Iris De Mouy; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Goodnight Songs</em> by Margaret Wise Brown, ill. Misc.; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Time for Bed, Fred</em> by Yasmeen Ismail; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mama Built a Little Nest</em> by Jennifer Ward, ill. Steve Jenkins)</span><br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Read Aloud</strong><br />
<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hooray for Hat!</em> by Brian Won (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-12-02-HoorayForHat.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2014-12-02-HoorayForHat.jpg" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-12-02-HoorayForHat-thumb.jpg" height="351" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a><br />
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I'm not sure what's more fun to recite, the dour "Go Away, I'm Grumpy!" or the exuberant "Hooray for Hat!" Either way, Won's beautifully designed debut is utterly infectious and a treat to read aloud.</div>
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<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Note:</em> When I wrote about <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hooray for Hat!</em> earlier in the year, I said that the illustrations "make you want to have a baby just so you can decorate the nursery and parade around in silly hats." So you can imagine my delight when I heard about <a href="http://liveinastory.com/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">Live in a Story</a> and found out that universe was one step ahead of me. This new company (started in part by authors and illustrators) sells wall decals that allow you to decorate your home with art from some of your favorite illustrators, including the characters from <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hooray for Hat!</em>. Brilliant.<br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Book with No Pictures</em> by B.J. Novak; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Have You Heard the Nesting Bird</em>by Rita Gray, ill. Kenard Pak; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Telephone</em> by Mac Barnett, ill. Jen Corace; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">If You Were a Dog</em> by Jamie Swenson, ill. Chris Raschka; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Don't Play With Your Food!</em> by Bob Shea; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mix It Up!</em> by Hervé Tullet)</span><br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best Miscellaneous</strong><br />
<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Breathe</em> by Scott Magoon (Simon & Schuster)</div>
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<a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-12-02-BreatheMagoon.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #fd5b0a; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="2014-12-02-BreatheMagoon.jpg" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-12-02-BreatheMagoon-thumb.jpg" height="443" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="570" /></a><br />
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Whether you are a small child or a grown adult, we can all use the occasional reminder to take a deep breath. Magoon's book does just that, pacing his spare text with gentle reminders to <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">breathe</em>. I swear there is magic in this book. I've personally seen it diffuse full-on toddler meltdown and I'm pretty sure medical trials would show that the book lowers your blood pressure.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;">(Honorable Mention: <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Monster Book</em> by Alice Hoogstad; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Issun Boshi</em> by Icinori; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Firefly July</em> by Paul B. Janeczko, ill. Melissa Sweet; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Migrant</em> by José Manuel Mateo, ill. Javier Martínez Pedro;<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Draw!</em> by Raúl Colón; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Brother Hugo and the Bear</em> by Katy Beebe, ill. S.D. Schindler; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hana Hashimoto: Sixth Violin</em> by Chieri Uegaki and Qin Leng; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nancy Knows</em> by Cybèle Young; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Call Me Tree</em> by Maya Christina Gonzalez; <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Books Always Everywhere</em> by Jane Blatt, ill. Sarah Massini)</span></div>
Minhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6474021797721606167.post-67285254745926226702014-11-06T22:03:00.002-05:002014-11-06T22:03:43.612-05:00Where the Magic HappensMy illustrator and partner-in-crime Isabel Roxas in her studio.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXSCkG1EKNe0KjcMOfA2XhwF0_PPz2FsKnsGP2Rten83mcKUCOLyU701kNJa9aghn0vKh8VoF87xaM-7yUTdsqlgnyV_-jx1Sqt4zmzL533G9YFITvKZIBwtXClSqAuIe_6RBU8N-O-sE6/s1600/Isabel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXSCkG1EKNe0KjcMOfA2XhwF0_PPz2FsKnsGP2Rten83mcKUCOLyU701kNJa9aghn0vKh8VoF87xaM-7yUTdsqlgnyV_-jx1Sqt4zmzL533G9YFITvKZIBwtXClSqAuIe_6RBU8N-O-sE6/s1600/Isabel.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Minhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6474021797721606167.post-3196600757665166242014-11-06T21:46:00.000-05:002014-11-06T21:46:18.301-05:00Picture Book Adaptations (Sort Of) That Need to Happen<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15.5555562973022px; line-height: 25.3968257904053px;"></span><div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: 0px;">
<i style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: justify;">Note: This post originally appeared on <a href="http://bookriot.com/2014/10/07/picture-book-adaptations-need-to-happen/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; color: #009eb8; display: inline; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;" target="_blank">Book Riot on October 7, 2014</a>.</i></div>
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<a href="http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/alexander-movie.jpg" rel="lightbox-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-size: 15.5555562973022px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 25.3968257904053px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; outline: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="alexander movie" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-70123" height="300" src="http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/alexander-movie-202x300.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-right: 15px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="202" /></a></div>
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This October, the big screen adaptation of <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=96j4LynEKBY&subid=&offerid=314164.1&type=10&tmpid=9310&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fstore.kobobooks.com%2Fen-US%2Febook%2Falexander-and-the-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-day" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Buy from Kobo">Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day</a></em> will hit a theater near you. I’m reserving judgment for now, but it’s clear from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_dideF5qvk" rel="lightbox-video-0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the trailer</a> that the movie is only <i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">very</i> loosely inspired by (the title of) the classic children’s book.</div>
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Which is somewhat inevitable. Adapting any picture book into a feature length film will require a good amount of extrapolation to fill 90+ minutes of screen time. I<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.428571429; outline: 0px;">t can be done tastefully as in the case of Spike Jonze’s </span><em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.428571429; outline: 0px;">Where the </em><i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.428571429; outline: 0px;">Wild Things</i><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.428571429; outline: 0px;"> Are, or it</span><i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.428571429; outline: 0px;"> </i><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.428571429; outline: 0px;">can also be done… well, the less said about </span><i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.428571429; outline: 0px;">The Cat in the Hat</i><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.428571429; outline: 0px;"> movie, the better.</span></div>
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But the fact is that children’s books are flying off the shelves and onto the silver screen, so the question is: what’s next? Well, if we are truly untethered to our source material, then there are all kinds of possibilities (blasphemous though they may be) out there. With that in mind, here are 5 classic picture books ready to inspire a film to which it bares virtually no resemblance.</div>
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<b style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/pigeon-bus.jpg" rel="lightbox-1" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="pigeon bus" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-70113" height="150" src="http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/pigeon-bus-150x150.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-right: 15px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="150" /></a><em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus</em> </b>by Mo Willems</div>
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<i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">Original Story: </i>A bus driver goes on a break, asks the reader to watch his bus, and says that no matter what: “Don’t let the pigeon drive the bus.” The pigeon (who has serious anger management issues) then appears and begs to be let into the driver’s seat.</div>
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<i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">Hollywood Adaptation:</i> After years of disappointment, our maniacally determined pigeon finally gets behind the wheel and runs amok through the streets of downtown Los Angeles. The LAPD calls upon the recently retired Lt. Jack Travern (Keanu Reeves), who is now running a surf shop on the shores of Venice Beach. The city’s only hope, Travern must don the uniform once more to save the city from disaster.</div>
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<a href="http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Dont-Let-the-Pigeon-Drive-the-Bus.jpg" rel="lightbox-2" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus Movie" class="wp-image-70104 aligncenter" height="335" src="http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Dont-Let-the-Pigeon-Drive-the-Bus.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="600" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Miss-Nelson-Missing.jpg" rel="lightbox-3" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Miss Nelson Missing" class="alignleft wp-image-70112" height="193" src="http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Miss-Nelson-Missing-233x300.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-right: 15px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="150" /></a><strong style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">Miss Nelson is Missing!</em> </strong>by Henry G. Allard Jr., illustrated by James Marshall</div>
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<i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">Original Story:</i> Overwhelmed by her classroom of misbehaving students, the wholesome Miss Nelson disappears only to be replaced by the stern substitute Miss Viola Swamp.</div>
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<i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">Hollywood Adaptation:</i> Following up on the much anticipated adaptation of <i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">Gone Girl</i>, David Fincher directs this gritty thriller about the sudden disappearance of a beloved teacher (Jennifer Lawrence).</div>
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A Boston detective with a tortured past (Affleck) is desperate to find Miss Nelson, who also happens to be the high school sweetheart of his dead younger brother Sully (who was killed by a foul ball at Fenway Park). Over the course of his investigation, he develops an intense attraction to the mysterious substitute Viola Swamp (Jennifer Lawrence). His world will be turned upside down when he discovers that the sultry Swamp is hiding a secret past and that she has been playing him this whole time.</div>
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<figure class="thumbnail wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_70118" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.428571429; margin: 0px auto; outline: 0px; padding: 4px; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; width: 610px;"><a href="http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Miss-Nelson-is-Missing-Movie.jpg" rel="lightbox-4" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Miss Nelson is missing. Could the mysterious Viola Swamp be hiding something?" class="wp-image-70118" height="300" src="http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Miss-Nelson-is-Missing-Movie.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="600" /></a><figcaption class="caption wp-caption-text" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; padding: 9px;">Miss Nelson is missing. Could the mysterious Viola Swamp be hiding something?</figcaption></figure><div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: 0px;">
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<a href="http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/purple-crayon.jpg" rel="lightbox-5" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="purple crayon" class="alignleft wp-image-70114" height="177" src="http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/purple-crayon-254x300.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-right: 15px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="150" /></a><b style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">Harold and the Purple Crayon</em> </b>by Crockett Johnson</div>
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<i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">Original Story:</i> Harold explores the world with his purple crayon, making things up as he goes. He gets himself into some dicey situations, but uses his crayon and the power of his imagination to save himself. He eventually tires of adventure and goes searching for the comforts of home.</div>
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<i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">Hollywood Adaptation:</i> All grown-up, Harold (played by the lovable Rob Corddry) is a down-on-his-luck architect who is fired and forced to move back in with his parents. While going through his old belongings he finds the purple crayon from his childhood and is reminded of what made him want to be an architect in the first place. Rejuvenated by his discovery, Harold is inspired to get back out into the world and create a new life for himself. The feel good comedy of the year.</div>
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<a href="http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Harold-and-the-Purple-Crayon-Movie.jpg" rel="lightbox-6" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Harold and the Purple Crayon Movie" class="wp-image-70106 aligncenter" height="400" src="http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Harold-and-the-Purple-Crayon-Movie.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="600" /></a></div>
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<b style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/walter-farting-dog.jpg" rel="lightbox-7" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="walter farting dog" class="alignleft wp-image-70115" height="137" src="http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/walter-farting-dog.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-right: 15px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="150" /></a><b style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=96j4LynEKBY&subid=&offerid=314164.1&type=10&tmpid=9310&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fstore.kobobooks.com%2Fen-US%2Febook%2Fwalter-the-farting-dog" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Buy from Kobo">Walter the Farting Dog</a></em> </b></b>by William Kotzwinkle and Glenn Murray, illustrated by Audrey Colman</div>
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<i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">Original Story: </i>Walter is a sweet dog with gastrointestinal issues. Just when the family is afraid they’ll have to let him go, Walter foils a robbery and saves the day.</div>
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<i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">Hollywood Adaptation:</i> This one writes itself. Home Alone + CGI farting dog = Box office GOLD.</div>
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<a href="http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Walter-Movie.jpg" rel="lightbox-8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Walter Movie" class="wp-image-70121 aligncenter" height="318" src="http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Walter-Movie.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="600" /></a></div>
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<b style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/five-chinese-brothers-cover.jpg" rel="lightbox-9" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="five chinese brothers cover" class="alignleft wp-image-70117" height="110" src="http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/five-chinese-brothers-cover-300x219.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-right: 15px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="150" /></a><em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">The Five Chinese Brothers</em> </b>by Claire Hutchet Bishop and Kurt Wiese</div>
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<i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">Original Story:</i> Five identical brothers use their special powers to rescue their brother from certain death.</div>
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<i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">Hollywood Adaptation:</i> Tired of people not being able to tell them apart, five Asian American friends (led by John Cho) decide to use their anonymity to their advantage–and plan the crime spree of a lifetime.</div>
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<em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">Note:</em> 4 of the 5 guys aren’t even Chinese.</div>
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<a href="http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Five-Chinese-Brothers.jpg" rel="lightbox-10" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Five Chinese Brothers" class="wp-image-70105 aligncenter" height="310" src="http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Five-Chinese-Brothers.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="600" /></a></div>
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You’re welcome, Hollywood. If you’re interested (and I know you are), have your people call my people.</div>
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Minhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6474021797721606167.post-4677183531714621712014-06-06T13:08:00.002-04:002014-06-06T13:08:33.006-04:00Book Riot's Favorite Sentences<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: 0px;">
<i>Note: This post originally appeared on <a href="http://bookriot.com/2014/05/19/book-riots-favorite-sentences/" target="_blank">Book Riot on May 19, 2014</a>.</i></div>
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For some reason, whenever I hear that someone writes “great sentences,” my ears always perk up. Which is funny because, if pressed I couldn’t really tell you what exactly <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">makes</em> a great sentence. For me it’s kind of like the Supreme Court and pornography: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_know_it_when_I_see_it" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="I know it when I see it">I know it when I see it</a>.</div>
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Or at least I think I do.</div>
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Rather than trying to come up with a definition of a great sentence, I thought it’d be more productive to just showcase some. So I asked my fellow Book Riot contributors for some of their favorite sentences. Lucky for me, they were more than up to the challenge.</div>
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And as always, we want to hear from you too. So please enjoy and then let us know what some of your favorite sentences are in the comments section.</div>
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So, without further ado, I present to you (drumroll please)… <strong style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">Book Riot’s Favorite Sentences:</strong></div>
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<i><a href="http://bookriot.com/2014/05/19/book-riots-favorite-sentences/" target="_blank">Click here to read all the full post</a> with all these wonderful sentences. But while you're here, here are my three choices:</i></div>
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“And who shall say–whatever disenchantment follows–that we ever forget magic; or that we can ever betray, on this leaden earth, the apple-tree, the singing, and the gold?” – Thomas Wolfe, <i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">Look Homeward, Angel</i></div>
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“In a hallway I saw a sign with an arrow pointing the way, and I was struck by the thought that that inoffensive symbol had once been a thing of iron, an inexorable, mortal projectile that had penetrated the flesh of men and lions and clouded the sun of Thermopylae and bequeathed to Harald Sigurdson, for all time, six feet of English earth.” – Jorge Luis Borges, “Mutations” from <i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">Dreamtigers</i></div>
<figure class="thumbnail wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_65058" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; background-color: white; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 22.22222328186035px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 4px; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; width: 610px;"><a href="http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Borges-crop.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eba820; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Jorge Luis Borges" class="wp-image-65058" height="368" src="http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Borges-crop.jpg" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="640" /></a><figcaption class="caption wp-caption-text" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; padding: 9px;">Jorge Luis Borges</figcaption></figure><div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: 0px;">
“Sam said her mother was a mermaid, when everyone knew she was dead.” – Evaline Ness, <i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">Sam, Bangs & Moonshine</i></div>
Minhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6474021797721606167.post-57753283123628356632014-06-06T13:04:00.001-04:002014-06-06T13:04:28.261-04:0015 First Picture-Book Gift Ideas for Children’s Book Week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzg5TfqlcEYp1VOWvCSpLXz0mgRw-lyrqKxFLYE3VbfikZ1R-3bwoiBKuoEkXxaM0kZ7raOxBWUTCtL-MzJR7SxfjesqjdgU6nYRuGGa8T4Vfd4GXLi21m40ykOzAgWYYk1J7gBaD_JDs/s1600/RRlogo_home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzg5TfqlcEYp1VOWvCSpLXz0mgRw-lyrqKxFLYE3VbfikZ1R-3bwoiBKuoEkXxaM0kZ7raOxBWUTCtL-MzJR7SxfjesqjdgU6nYRuGGa8T4Vfd4GXLi21m40ykOzAgWYYk1J7gBaD_JDs/s1600/RRlogo_home.jpg" height="153" width="320" /></a></div>
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A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to write a guest post for Reading Rainbow... and if my elementary school self knew that he'd get to recommend books for Reading Rainbow, he would totally pee his pants.<br />
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So, here are <a href="http://www.readingrainbow.com/blog/2014/05/14/15-first-picture-book-gift-ideas-childrens-book-week/" target="_blank">15 First Picture Book Gift Ideas</a> for anyone with a new baby on the way. But you don't have to take my word for it...Minhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.com0