Summer 2010 Picturebook Highlights - Marshall Cavendish

Okay, I lied. Penguin was not the last. This morning I discovered a publisher's catalogue on my desk I had neglected to blog about before: Marshall Cavendish!

Joha Makes a Wish: A Middle Eastern Tale
by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Omar Rayyan
9780761455998, $17.99, published in March 2010

I admit I have a big soft spot for Eric Kimmel, after growing up with his Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins and The Chanukkah Guest. He writes multicultural tales with humor and sensitivity (and is lucky enough to have amazing illustrators put pictures to his words!) Omar Rayyan's illustrations bring this book to life with intricate details and a playful ambiance. Joha finds a wishing stick on his way to Baghdad. He makes several small wishes, but it's when the sultan starts using the wishing stick, that things really get out of hand.

Chalk
by Bill Thomson
9780761455264, $15.99, published in March 2010

One rainy day, three kids in a park discover a bag of chalk. They begin to draw the sun, butterflies, even a dinosaur that all come to life! It takes some quick thinking and quick drawing to save the kids from the magic and the dinosaur that run amok. Crystal clear, almost photographic-quality illustrations are a nice contrast with the surreal subject matter. This wordless picturebook reminds me of some of Chris Van Allsburg's work: there's a similar fantasy quality and the endless possibilities of imagination (only, you know, in color).

A Giraffe Goes to Paris
by Mary Tavener Holmes and John Harris, illustrated by Jon Cannell 
9780761455950, $17.99, published in April 2010

This picturebook tells the re-imagined true story about a very famous giraffe. In 1827, the pasha of Egypt gave the king of France a gift: Belle, a giraffe. Belle traveled from Alexandria, Egypt to Paris, France, riding on a boat with a hole cut out for her neck, and then walking 500 miles in 41 days, parading through France from Marseilles to Paris. Jon Cannell's quirky cartoon-esque illustrations encompass artifacts and paintings from the 1800s, as we follow Belle's life story.

Summer 2010 Picturebook Highlights - Penguin Young Readers Group

Presenting the final (I think) installment of the Summer 2010 Picturebook Highlights series: Penguin Young Readers Group!

Name That Dog!
by Peggy Archer, illustrated by Stephanie Buscema
9780803733220, $16.99, Pub. Date: May 2010

Adorable illustrations show the character and personality of each dog described in this alphabetical set of poems.

Ladybug Girl at the Beach
by David Soman and Jacky Davis, illustrated by David Soman
9780803734166, $16.99, Pub. Date: May 2010

Lulu and her dog Bingo are back! A perfect summer read about using your imagination to overcome a gentle fear of the ocean. That sneaky ocean tries to take Lulu's pail, but as Ladybug Girl, she's strong enough to save her toy.
Don't miss the other books in the Ladybug Girl series:

Ladybug Girl
9780803731950, $16.99

Ladybug Girl Dresses Up!
9780448453736, $5.99

Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy
9780803733398, $16.99

The Buffalo Are Back
by Jean Craighead George, illustrated by Wendell Minor
9780525422150, $16.99, Pub. Date: May 2010

This dynamic duo has teamed up again for an intimate look at the history of the American buffalo. This picturebook chronicles the sweeping tale from roaming wild alongside Plains Indians to the herds that now roam our national parks. With a fictional tale weaving the non-fiction elements together, this is a quiet book to share in a private storytime moment.

Red Green Blue: A First Book of Colors
by Alison Jay
9780525423034, $16.99, Pub. Date: May 2010

I have to be honest: this book is going to sell SO MUCH BETTER when they finally turn it into a board book. That said, don't miss this fourth book in a brightly-illustrated, beautifully designed, early concept books by acclaimed illustrator Alison Jay. Her other books in this series include an ABC book, a 1,2,3 book, and a word book. They all exhibit this unique crackle illustration style with nursery rhyme characters. Absolutely delightful.

What's the Big Idea, Molly?
by Valeri Gorbachev
9780399254284, $16.99, Pub. Date: June 2010

I am a huge fan of Valerie Gorbachev's work. His illustration style perfectly suits his sweet storytelling. Each book is about friendship in one way or another, whether it involves sharing, or teamwork, or appreciating each other, and this one is no exception. Molly Mouse and her friends work together to gain inspiration for a truly original birthday present.

Lost Boy: The Story of the Man who Created Peter Pan
by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Steve Adams
9780525478867, $17.99, Pub. Date: August 2010

Lost Boy is a compelling fictionalized account of J.M. Barrie's life in picturebook format. If the sweetness of Finding Neverland, the movie starring Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet, could be harnessed into a picturebook, this would be it. Steve Adams's illustrations have a grainy, antique feel to compliment Jane Yolen's informative text. You'll want to grab a copy of Peter Pan soon after reading this!

Summer 2010 Picturebook Highlights - Candlewick

Presenting #8 in the Summer 2010 Picturebook Highlights series: Candlewick Press!

Practically in the back yard (okay, it's an hour and a half away in Boston), this press is the home of Kate DiCamillo, Judy Moody, and Emily Windsnap. Here are some of my favorite picturebooks for the summer season.

I already mentioned Cloud Tea Monkeys by Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham, illustrated by Juan Wijngaard in an earlier post, so you know how I liked that. And, I already mentioned some new board book favorites by mixed-media artist Lorena Siminovich: I Like Bugs and I Like Fruit.

Another book already on the shelves is The Django by Levi Pinfold. Published as part of Templar Books, a Candlewick imprint, this picturebook was inspired by Jean "Django" Reinhardt, a famous jazz musician. The illustrations are just gorgeous - expressive and colorful, the double-page spreads remind me of fairy tale illustrations, but also have a photographic quality, which contrasts nicely with the fantasy element of the Django character. A tribute to jazz, music in general, and Jean Reinhardt in particular. 9780763647889, $16.99

For fans of Lauren Child's (author of Charlie and Lola) Clarice Bean middle grade novels, check out Clarice Bean paperback picture books!
Clarice Bean, That's Me 9780763647957, $7.99
Clarice Bean, What Planet Are You From? 9780763647964, $7.99
Clarice Bean, Guess Who's Babysitting? 9780763647971, $7.99, Pub. Date: May 2010

Have a new mythology fan, thanks to Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series' success?
Check out Encyclopedia Mythologica Gods and Heroes by Matthew Reinhart and Robert Sabuda, a pop-up book with all kinds of in-depth information about sacred myths and legends, popping out from unexpected places. 9780763631710, $29.99

Summer 2010 Picturebook Highlights - Publishers Group West

Publishers Group West, or PGW, is #7 in the Summer 2010 Picturebook Highlights series!

One book I am afraid to say probably won't be a best-seller but is stunningly illustrated is:

Owls See Clearly at Night (Lii Yiiboo Miyo-Waapamik Iii Swer): A Michif Alphabet (L'alfabet di Michif)
illustrated by Julie Flett
9781897476284, $16.95, Pub. Date: April 2010

Illustrated by a Metis artist from Vancouver, this book is an alphabet book for the Michif language, an endangered language of the Metis people who are geographically from Northern United States and Canada. The illustrations are a beautiful mix of bold silhouettes against soft-hued backgrounds.

Mirror
by Suzy Lee
9781934734391, $15.95, Pub. Date: May 2010

From the creator of the wordless picturebook Wave, comes another wordless picturebook, Mirror. The book is undeniably beautiful, showcasing Lee's signature illustration style - charcoal or dark pencil drawings with washes of bright water colors; half-concrete, half-abstract. While I highly recommend this book for its elegant artwork, the subject of the illustrations is one that is not appropriate for all storytime contexts. Mirror is the story of a little girl who makes friends with her reflection in the mirror. When there is tension between the reflection and the little girl, the little girl pushes the mirror over and it breaks. Then she has no friend to play with. The book is useful for starting conversations about cause and effect, consequences of actions, etc., but is really intended as an exploration of the self and the reflected, or "mirrored" self - quite an adult concept. Yet, please don't let that scare you off, as this picturebook is truly a delight to look through.

More Life-Size Zoo
by Teruyuki Komiya
9781934734193, $18.95, Pub. Date: May 2010

The sequel to Life-Size Zoo, on every page is a near life-size photograph of the head of an animal along with fun facts and general information. A great non-fiction page-turner. The oversize format is perfect for sharing with many kids at the same time.

Two new board books by Kate Endle that feature collage-style illustrations are:

What is Green?
9781570616488, $8.95, Pub. Date: June 2010

and

Who Hoo Are You?
9781570616471, $8.95, Pub. Date: June 2010

For more on books with collage-style illustrations, check out my earlier post.

Summer 2010 Picturebook Highlights - Scholastic

Presenting #6 in the Summer 2010 Picturebook Highlights series...Scholastic!

Swim! Swim!
by Lerch
9780545094191, $16.99, Pub. Date: July 2010

Hilarious! Lerch, the fish, the main character of the story (as well as, apparently, the author), is so very proper I can't help reading this in a (horrendous) British accent. Lerch is lonely and wants a friend, so he examines every object in his confined space to see if he can find one. When he can't find a friend inside, he finds one outside. But who is that furry-looking creature staring so intently at Lerch the fish saying "Yummy?" Friend? Or foe? Great storytime book; you won't stop laughing.

Zen Ghosts
by Jon J. Muth
9780439634304, $17.99, Pub. Date: July 2010

So very beautiful, this is a third companion book to Zen Shorts, a Caldecott Honor Book, and Zen Ties. All three feature dreamy watercolors paintings with hints of vivid colors, and a Panda and his human friends.

This is Silly!
by Gary Taxali
9780439718363, $17.99, Pub. Date: August 2010

While children may enjoy the illustrations, this is pretty much a picturebook for adults, in my humble opinion. Art-and-pop-art-loving adults, to be specific. Andy Warhol-esque colors and the whimsical characters and overall design reflect the pop art style of the 30s, 40s, and 50s. Silly rhymes showcase the Dr. Seuss influence on Taxali's work (who is an illustrator, fine artist, and toy designer in Canada). I'm not sure how well this picturebook works as a storytime book, but the art is not to be missed.

Summer 2010 Picturebook Highlights - Little, Brown and Company

All the way to number six in the Summer 2010 Picturebook Highlights series is Little, Brown and Company!

Overall, I have to confess there are more novels on this list I'm excited about than picturebooks, but these three did stand out for me (and I'll review the novels as I read them, promise!):

Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down
by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney
9780316070164, $16.99, already available

This award-winning husband-and-wife team have created another hit, in my mind. Lyrical text tells the story of lunch counter sit-ins during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Beginning with four friends, who will come to be know as the Greensboro Four, blacks and whites across the South began peacefully protesting segregation by sitting at lunch counters, politely waiting to be served. With a refrain throughout: "A doughnut and coffee, with cream on the side," and highlighting words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and activist Ella Baker, this picturebook is a beautiful introduction to an impressive moment in America's history. Brian Pinkney's characteristic illustration style - sweeping washes of color with black line overlay - enhance and compliment the text. A timeline and author's note at the back of the book make this perfect for both individual storytimes and classroom use.

Shark vs. Train
by Chris Barton, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
9780316007627, $16.99, Pub. Date: April 2010

The illustrations are what make this book a success. The premise is two little boys have chosen a shark and a train from their box of toys and are, in typical fashion, battling to see which toy will win. Quickly the perspective of the book changes to show the shark and the train competing against each other, with cartoonish word bubbles adding text that will make both adults and kids laugh. Basically, two big-kid guys had fun making a kids picturebook.

I Don't Want a Cool Cat!
by Emma Dodd
9780316036740, $15.99, Pub. Date: August 2010

A follow-up to I Don't Want a Posh Dog!, the rhyming text and bold yet cool illustrations are sure to create a similar success. "I don't want a cool cat. A treat-me-like-a-fool cat. I just want a purry cat. A small, soft, furry cat." Who could resist? Just make sure you're ready to, or already have, a cat in your life!

Summer 2010 Picturebook Highlights - Workman

Here are two titles from Workman Publishing, fifth in the "Summer 2010 Picturebook Highlights" series!

The Book of Potentially Catastrophic Science: 50 Experiments for Daring Young Scientists
by Sean Connolly
9780761156871, $12.95, Pub Date: March 2010
A sequel to The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science: 64 Daring Experiments for Young Scientists (9780761150206, $12.95), this book takes science one step further. The science experiments are all selected to demonstrate a specific scientific principle that is explained in a fun "history of science" blurb on each page. Don't miss out on either one of these books - though I hate to gender things, I've had great feedback from 8-12-year-old boys in particular.

Star Wars: A Scanimation Book: 12 Iconic Scenes from a Galaxy Far, Far Away...
by Rufus Butler Seder
9780761158462, $14.95, Pub. Date: April 2010
A perfect combination - scanimation technology and the hi-tech sci-fi world of Star Wars. Similar to earlier books Gallop!, Swing!, and Waddle, this book is geared toward children a few years older than board book age, though still in a sturdy landscape format to mimic film stills. Only there's nothing still about these pages, for as you move the page, each scene moves with you for a mini live-action shot of 12 Star Wars scenes.

Summer 2010 Picturebook Highlights - Simon & Schuster

Introducing Simon & Schuster as number four in the "Summer 2010 Picturebook Highlights" series!

The Pirate of Kindergarten
by George Ella Lyon, illustrated by Lynne Avril
9781416950240, $16.99, Pub. Date: June 2010
This one's a departure from my usual taste; I'm not, in general, a huge fan of "issues" books. This one caught my attention because it's a clever blend of issue & character-driven plot with bright illustrations. Ginny sees everything as a double. She doesn't know this isn't how most other people see the world. I enjoy (and think kids will, too) that the teacher overlooks or misinterprets signs of Ginny's double-vision, as this often happens between adults and children. A routine eye exam results in Ginny's pirate-like eye patch she will need to wear until her new glasses arrive. The pirate theme is very small at the end, so don't be fooled this will be a swashbuckling adventure. A good book to read at any time when explaining the difference in peoples' appearances.
Perhaps I like this book due to my own experience with needing glasses. As family legend would have it, I put on my new glasses, stepped outside, and said, "You can see leaves?!" Apparently, only green blobs had been visible before the miracle glasses. I was nine-years-old. My mother felt awful, but now I like to tease her about it.

Dogs Don't Do Ballet
by Anna Kemp, illustrated by Sara Ogilvie
9781416998396, $15.99, Pub. Date: June 2010
Biff, an adorable little Boston Terrier-looking dog, longs to dance ballet. But, as you can imagine, he is told time and again, "Dogs don't do ballet!" He follows his owners to a show at the Royal Ballet, and when the principle dancer falls, it's Biff's big chance! Will his ballet moves impress the crowd and save the show? Adorable illustrations highlight Biff's longing for dance.
What I find most intriguing about this book is you could very easily change the word "boy" for the word "dog" (not that I'm calling boys dogs, mind you), and have a non-traditional coming-of-age tale.

The Cow Loves Cookies
by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Marcellus Hall
9781416942061, $16.99, Pub. Date: July 2010
A great new storytime book! As the farmer walks around the farm, feeding each animal its particular type of food, everyone can chant the refrain together: "The Cow loves cookies!" The illustrations are somewhat reminiscent of the barnyards featured in Betsy Lewin's illustrations for Doreen Cronin's picturebooks such as Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, though obviously with an original spin.

Where Is Tippy Toes?
written & illustrated by Betsy Lewin
9781416938088, $16.99, Pub. Date: July 2010
Die-cut pages fold open to reveal where Tippy Toes the cat goes. Very sweet, and a good bedtime book.



Heads
by Matthew Van Fleet
9781442403796, $17.99, Pub. Date: August 2010
I'm cheating a little bit here, because technically this is a board book, but it's wonderful! In the same vein as his others - Cat, Alphabet, Dog, Tails - this book has more push tabs, with his signature funny rhyming text.

The Halloween Kid
by Rhode Montijo
9781416935759, $12.99, Pub. Date: August 2010
A delightful combination of retro illustrations and Western-sounding slang, this picturebook is a new Halloween must-have. The Halloween Kid is a masked hero, riding around on his trusty hobby horse, saving trick-or-treaters from the Goody Goblins and other clever monsters.

The Monster Princess
by D.J. MacHale, illustrated by Alexandra Boiger
9781416948094, $17.99, Pub. Date: August 2010
A perfect match between author and illustrator! The rhyming text is well-written and tells the story of a krinkle-nut digger type-of-monster named Lala. Lala lives in a cave deep in the earth, but dreams of the light and the dresses and parties of life as a princess. When she gets a chance to attend the ball, she slips and falls, and the real princesses laugh at her. Back at home, her supportive mother comforts Lala by telling her she brings her own light into the cave. Lala forgives the princesses for being mean, and decides being a princess isn't what she's meant to be after all. The beautiful illustrations and design of the words on each page adds so much character to an already enticing story.


A backlist title I just discovered:

My Friend, the Starfinder
by George Ella Lyon, illustrated by Stephen Gammell
9781416927389, $16.99
Have to admit I haven't read this book yet, but I love Stephen Gammell illustrations. The catalogue description reads: Dazzled, a little girl listens to her old neighbor's story of following a falling star when he was a boy. He found it, too. But that's not all the starfinder has to tell, in this luminous picture book by George Ella Lyon and Stephen Gammell.
It feels like the perfect summertime nighttime book to me.

And stay tuned - I have about 10 chapter book recommendations I need to blog about. Coming soon!

Summer 2010 Picturebook Highlights - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Third in the series of "Summer 2010 Picturebook Highlights" is...Houghton Mifflin Harcourt!

Mimi's Dada Catifesto
by Shelley Jackson
9780547126814, $17, Pub. Date: April 2010
This book captured my heart originally due to the collage illustrations (one of my favorite types of art). Reading the story - an artistic cat in search of the right owner, Mr. Dada in search of the right pet - warmed my heart even more.

A Dignity of Dragons: Collective Nouns for Magical Beasts
by Jacqueline K. Ogburn, illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli
9780618862542, $17, Pub. Date: May 2010
A new bestiary for any child interested in fantastical beings, complete with a glossary and stunning, daydream-inspiring artwork.

The Famous Nini: A Mostly True Story of How a Plain White Cat Became a Star
by Mary Nethery, illustrated by John Manders
9780618977697, $17, Pub. Date: June 2010
The illustrations infuse Nini, the cat, with such personality in this picturebook about a stray cat who becomes famous in Venice in the 1890s.

Flora's Very Windy Day
by Jeanne Birdsall, illustrated by Matt Phelan
9780618986767, $16, Pub. Date: August 2010
National Book Award winning author of The Penderwicks has written her first picture book! Flora's Very Windy Day is lucky to be illustrated by the talented Matt Phelan, whose first graphic novel - A Storm in the Barn - won the Scott O'Dell Award for historical fiction. Don't miss this whimsical picture book from such an award-winning duo.


I couldn't help myself- here are some favorite Houghton Mifflin Harcourt backlist - already published!

But Who Will Bell the Cats?
by Cynthia von Buhler
Hardcover: 9780618997183, $16
A brilliantly depicted version of Aesop's "Belling the Cat" fable. The illustrations are stunning, mixed medium with a combination of photography, collage, and illustration. The total book design helps to tell the story of one brave little mouse and his friend Brown Bat who live beneath the castle where eight cats and a princess live.

How the Nobble Was Finally Found
by C.K. Williams, illustrated by Stephen Gammell
Hardcover: 9780152054601, $18
Vivid watercolor illustrations by a Caldecott Award-winning artist brings the fantastical character of the Nobble to life. The Nobble loves playing in all sorts of imaginative places but gets lonely playing alone. He goes off on an adventure and gets a little help finding a friend. This is perfect for the older picture book child.

I Like You
by Sandol Stoddard Warburg, illustrated by Jacqueline Chwast
Hardcover: 9780395071762, $6.95
“I like you/And I know why/I like you because/You are a good person/To like.” The delicate cartoon-esque line drawings perfectly accent this simple, yet heartfelt, little pocket gift-sized book. The sweet free-flowing verse makes this a perfect gift to give to a friend, family member, or romantic love any day of the year. “You really like me/Don’t you/And I really like you back/And you like me back/And I like you back/And that’s the way we keep on going/Every day.”

In a Blue Room
by Jim Averbeck, illustrated by Tricia Tusa
Hardcover: 9780152059927, $16
A magical bedtime book with beautiful dreamy illustrations.

And stay tuned for my favorite Houghton Mifflin Harcourt chapter books - coming up!

Summer 2010 Picturebook Highlights - Random House

Next up in the series of "Summer 2010 Picturebook Highlights" is....Random House!

Moonhorse
by Mary Pope Osborne, illustrated by S.M. Saelig
9780679867098, $7.99, Pub. Date: April 2010

Though I haven't read the full text yet, this lullaby bedtime story written by the author of The Magic Treehouse series sounds lyrical and dreamy, with soft delicate illustrations to match. I'm a sucker for bedtime books, apparently. Here is the publisher's website description:
Out of the night the shimmering Moonhorse appears, and a young girl leaves her father napping on the front porch to join the silver-winged horse on a wondrous adventure among the constellations. They gallop past stars and comets, past the Dipper and the Ram, then lasso the crescent moon and pull it across the clear night sky. At last the sleepy rider returns home safely and the Moonhorse disappears into the dark.

Busing Brewster by Richard Michelson, illustrated by R.G. Roth 9780375833342, $16.99, Pub. Date: May 2010

Local author, Rich Michelson, of R.Michelson Galleries in Northampton, has succeeded, again, in writing an engaging picturebook about tough race relations with great sympathy and interest. R.G. Roth's illustrations complement the tone of the story perfectly. He is also the illustrator of 2006's This Jazz Man by Karen Ehrhardt, read to the tune of "This Old Man, He Played One", another personal favorite.

Drum City
by Thea Guidone, illustrated by Vanessa Newton 9781582463087, $15.99, Pub. Date: June 2010 - from Tricycle Press, distributed by Random House

From first-time author Thea Guidone, this book is going to be a new storytime favorite. So much to do! Pretend to be a drum, have a drum parade. The story is catchy, but the illustrations bring the story to the next level. I first fell in love with Newton's illustrations when I saw the recently released Let Freedom Sing. I hope you'll enjoy them too.

Summer 2010 Picturebook Highlights - HarperCollins

This week marks the beginning of the summer buying season.

"Summer?" you might be asking yourself. "But it's January!"

That's how it works, folks. We buy months in advance, and sometimes we forget how excited we were by the time a book actually comes out. To that end, here is a list of some things to look for this summer, published by HarperCollins:

Willoughby & the Moon
by Greg Foley
9780061547539, $18.99, Pub. Date: May 2010

Willoughby isn't afraid of the dark. He just wants to know where the moon goes each night it gets smaller and smaller and smaller. As he steps through the door of his closet, Willoughby gets his wish during an overnight adventure on the moon. This is a follow-up to 2009's Willoughby & the Lion. I enjoy all of Greg Foley's picturebooks, though I think the art he's doing with the Willoughby series is particularly innovative. Whereas the first Willoughby book was black and white with gold accents, Foley picks up the shimmer irridescent quality of the moon in this new black, white, and silver picturebook.

Princess Says Goodnight
by Naomi Howland, illustrated by David Small
9780061455254, $16.99, Pub. Date: May 2010

Not too syrupy sweet, this picturebook is a delight for the girly child. The illustrations are done by the same David Small whose book Stitches was just a finalist for the National Book Award. He has won a Caldecott Honor for his illustrations for his wife, Sarah Stewart's, book, The Gardner. He also illustrated 2008's That Book Woman, a personal favorite of mine, about a traveling librarian who brings books to people in remote places of the country.

City Dog, Country Frog
words by Mo Willems, pictures by Jon J. Muth
9781423103004, $17.99, Pub. Date: June 2010

A dynamic duo, this is one of those picture books that manages to capture sweet without being saccharine. City Dog becomes friends with Country Frog. Jon Muth's dreamy watercolors show them playing during Spring, Summer, and Fall. When Winter begins, City Dog runs to find Country Frog, but Country Frog isn't there. Spring comes again: City Dog is sitting near Country Frog's rock, when Country Chipmunk finds him, and the reader knows the friendship cycle, like the seasons, will begin all over again.

Oh No! (Or How My Science Project Destroyed the World)
written by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Dan Santat
9781423123125, $16.99, Pub. Date: June 2010

This one is just a silly hot mess. A girl creates a robot for a science project. She wins, of course, but then it starts destroying the world! So, she scientifically enhances a Toad to take it out. Really, a toad? He's better at being a hero than you might think. But just when the world's safe again, it's the toad's turn to run amok. This book is very funny, and the illustrator is doing some interesting shout-outs to a Godzilla-like Japanese influence. Different, fun, & graphically interesting.

Always Listen to Your Mother
by Florence Parry Heide & Roxanne Heide Pierce, illustrated by Kyle M. Stone
9781423113959, $15.99, Pub. Date: August 2010

Ernest is a good boy and always listens to his mother. When she encourages him to play with the new boy next door, little does she know that listening to the other mother allows Ernest to do all the things his own mother would never let him do. Florence Parry Heide wrote the recent hit Princess Hyacinth, the Surprising Tale of a Girl Who Floated, illustrated by Lane Smith. This new picturebook should be another storytime favorite.