Picture Book Reviews

A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka  (j/Pic/Rasc)
A wordless tale of an irrepressible little dog whose most prized possession is accidently destroyed. A buoyant tale of loss, recovery, and friendship.  (2012 Caldecott Medal Book)

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker  (j/Pic/Dus)
Truck-loving toddlers will be willingly tucked into bed along with the vehicles in this superbly constructed goodnight poem.

Grandpa Green  by Lane Smith  (j/Pic/Smi)
Elaborate topiary sculptures give visual form to memories in a wildly fanciful garden tended by a child and his beloved great-grandfather. (2012 Caldecott Honor Book)

I Broke My Trunk by Mo Willems  (jR/Willems)
Piggie is very concerned about his best friend, Gerald the Elephant, who has broken his trunk, and Gerald tells him a long, rambling story about how it happened.
(2012 Geisel Honor Book)

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen (j/Pic/Klas)
After losing his hat, Bear politely and patiently questions his fellow forest dwellers as to the whereabouts of his “red pointy hat.” (2012 Geisel Honor Book)

Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henkes (j/Pic/Hen)
Little white rabbit explores the springtime world wondering what it would be like to be different - green, tall, solid, or able to fly  - but when he comes home he knows who loves him.

Mouse & Lion by Rand Burkert (j/Pic/Bur)
Mouse is the center of this retelling of a familiar Aesop’s fable.  Elegant illustrations place the story solidly in the natural world of Africa.

Stars by Mary Lyn Ray (j/Pic/Ray)
This book explores the realities and possibilities of many kinds of stars, embracing the immediacy of a child’s experiences. A great read aloud.

Ten Little Caterpillars by Bill Martin, Jr. (j/Pic/Mar)
Ten different caterpillars inch their ways across vibrantly-illustrated environs in this newly-illustrated, rhyming story. Supplemental facts widen the book’s appeal and usefulness. Ehlert’s watercolor collages are remarkably entomologically accurate.