Yay! The results are out from the New York Times
Book Review people. And here are the 10 Best Illustrated Children's
Books for 2012. As usual we have added a ton of additional information that you won't find on the original list.
written and illustrated by Gaëtan Dorémus
**Starred Review** PublishersWeekly
**Starred Review** Kirkus
**Starred Review** SchoolLibraryJournal
In
this wordless tale, a sneaky wolf runs off with a bear's teddy-bear.
(The nerve!) What ensues is a full on temper tantrum where the bear
devours his neighbors.
Rather controversial with moms.
Nancy M. at GoodReads writes, "Violent revenge for taking his magenta Teddy bear is the theme of the book."
Samantha L. writes, " The artwork is pretty graphic and violent when he devours the animals, though he swallows them whole which is entirely unrealistic. That being said don't share this one with preschoolers."
Others like it, of course. See all opinions at GoodReads.
Rather controversial with moms.
Nancy M. at GoodReads writes, "Violent revenge for taking his magenta Teddy bear is the theme of the book."
Samantha L. writes, " The artwork is pretty graphic and violent when he devours the animals, though he swallows them whole which is entirely unrealistic. That being said don't share this one with preschoolers."
Others like it, of course. See all opinions at GoodReads.
Wordless!
Page Count: 32
There isn't a look-inside currently
THE BEETLE BOOK written and illustrated by Steve Jenkins
**Starred Review** PublishersWeekly
**Starred Review** Kirkus
**Starred Review** SchoolLibraryJournal
**Starred Review** ALA Booklist
ALL about beetles!
- Beetles squeak and beetles glow.
- Beetles stink, beetles sprint, beetles walk on water.
- The beetle world is vast: one out of every four living things on earth is a beetle.
- There are over 350,000 different species named so far and scientists suspect there may be as many as a million.
Intriguing!
Word Count: 2,791
Page Count: 40
Accelerated Reading level: 5.9 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 150490
--sample pages available
HOUSE HELD UP BY TREES by Ted Kooser
illustrated by Jon Klassen
**Starred Review** ALA Booklist
Author of last year's honoree, I Want My Hat Back, Jon Klassen has beautifully illustrated Ted Kooser's moody tale of a patch of land where all the trees and shrubs were removed so that a house could be built. And where a father and children moved in to make that house a home. The moody part comes in as the family matures, the children and then the father move away, and the house falls into disrepair.
AND THEN THERE CAME A DAY when the children were gone for good and their father was living alone in the house with it's perfect lawn all around. It's said that he began to feel that to keep up a house and yard was too much work for him now that he was getting older and his children were gone and he was alone, and at last he decided to sell the house and find an apartment in the city, maybe somewhere near his son and daughter. And maybe they'd invite him over for dinner once in a while.
As you can see from the sample text, HOUSE HELD UP BY TREES isn't necessarily a book for all little children. I can visualize situations in which this book might be used as part of a discussion with younger children, but honestly I believe this is a book that teachers and homeschoolers might use with middle-schoolers. Besides providing a means of discussion how text and artwork compliment one another, the a discussion of the enduring power of nature might follow a reading of the book.
Quick Notes: This is another one of those books that adults put on lists for children, that aren't particularly kid-friendly. If you check review sites, you'll find many of the parent have said that the one was a little too sad and that there wasn't an obvious kid-accessible message.
GoodReads opinions? Lots of 'Likes', with some 'Dislikes' (see them here)
Jason writes, "The story follows the deterioration of a house after it is abandoned by a single father whose two grown children have left him."
Lisa V. writes, "Absolutely stunning! It has gorgeous illustrations and an emotionally powerful story."
Word Count: 1,028
Page Count: 32
Accelerated Reading level: 4.5 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 150695
--sample pages available
THE HUEYS IN THE NEW SWEATER written and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
**Starred Review** ALA Booklist
Each
Huey looks-thinks-and-does the same things. So you can imagine the
chaos when one of them has the idea of knitting a sweater!
The
Huey with the sweater ends up being very proud of the results,
precisely because it makes him different. And the other Hueys? Well,
they want to be different too! And so they start knitting.
This is the first book in a series.
Word Count: 209
Page Count: 32
Accelerated Reading level: 1.9 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 152652
INFINITY AND ME by Kate Hosford
illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska
Overwhelmed
by the hugeness of the night sky, eight-year-old Uma embarks on a quest
to understand infinity--until she finally realizes there is comfort in
the idea that some things go on forever.
This is a popular book with parents.
This is a popular book with parents.
Word Count: 657
Page Count:
Accelerated Reading level: 3.4 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 151611
Lexile: AD670L
LITTLE BIRD by Germano Zullo
illustrated by Albertine
**Starred Review** PublishersWeekly
**Starred Review** Kirkus
A
man drives his truck up to a cliff's edge. Unable to go any further, he
opens the back door of his truck and a flock of birds flies out, but,
as the man soon discovers, a small timid bird remains. Surprised and
delighted, the man acts kindly towards the bird and an intimacy
develops. After lunch, the man tries to show the bird that he should fly
off and join his friends. The man's comic attempt at flight deepens the
encounter between these two very different creatures. Soon the bird
flies off and the man drives away, but in a surprise twist the bird and
his friends return, and in a starkly lyrical moment we see them all
experience something entirely new.
no reading level information is currently available
Page Count: 72
ONE TIMES SQUARE: A CENTURY OF CHANGE AT THE CROSSROADS OF THE WORLD written and illustrated by Joe McKendry
Watercolors accompany the fascinating look at this well know piece of turf.
no reading level information is currently available
Page Count: 64
RED KNIT CAP GIRL written and illustrated by Naoko Stoop
**Starred Review** PublishersWeekly
With
the help of their forest friends, Red Knit Cap Girl and White Bunny set
on on a quest to talk to the Moon. What they learn is that they need
only be patient for their wish come true.
Word Count: 577
Page Count: 40
Accelerated Reading level: 2.6 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 151892
--sample pages available
STEPHEN AND THE BEETLE by Jorge Luján
illustrated by Chiara Carrer
**Starred Review** Kirkus
Stephen spots a
beetle and is about to whack it with his shoe when he suddenly has a change of heart.
Done with acrylics, ink, pencil, oil pastel, and collage illustrations, this books leads children on a journey of discovery of the idea of 'consequences'. Very nice.
Word Count: 161
Page Count: 36
Accelerated Reading level: 2.6 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 152756
UNSPOKEN: A STORY FROM THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD written and illustrated by Henry Cole
**Starred Review** PublishersWeekly
UNSPOKEN
is a fabulous wordless book. With sepia-tone
artwork it tells the tale of a little girl who helps another girl, this
one a slave, to find her way to freedom.
The book begins with a girl leading a cow home. As she walks she watches a small band of Southern soldiers cross her family's land. She doesn't think much about it, and apparently goes about her chores, feeding chickens and gathering eggs. But she senses something is wrong. And the reader gets to see that someone is hiding in the tall corn.
I won't bother you with a long description of what follows, but only say that the girl feeds the escaping slave.
The book begins with a girl leading a cow home. As she walks she watches a small band of Southern soldiers cross her family's land. She doesn't think much about it, and apparently goes about her chores, feeding chickens and gathering eggs. But she senses something is wrong. And the reader gets to see that someone is hiding in the tall corn.
I won't bother you with a long description of what follows, but only say that the girl feeds the escaping slave.
At
the end of the book, the author explains why they wrote the story.
Living in Virginia they feel connected to the past in a way those living
in other parts of the country might not. This information allows for a
segue for teachers and parents to discuss the war if the images haven't
already let to a chat.
Quick Notes: This
is a very appealing book that I would be appropriate for a fairly wide
age range. I could see using it with elementary school aged children,
as a brief introduction to the American Civil War. And as a book for
English classes for Tweens and younger teens.
Wordless!
Page Count: 40
--sample pages available
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