Van Fleet, Matthew. 2009. Cat. Photographs by Brian Stanton. Simon & Schuster.
Cat is an interactive book perfect for cat lovers of all ages. Some of the cats have touch-and-feel elements--like the two cat tails on the cover of this book. Other pages have movable parts (like the fish-in-the-bowl on the cover) like swishable tails. Book flaps and fold outs and what nots. There is even a squeaky surprise waiting for you. The book is as fun as can be. If you love cats that is. (And I do.)
Landolf, Diane Wright. 2009. What A Good Big Brother. Ilustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. Random House.
What do babies do best? Well, babies do many things, really, but one of the things they do best is express themselves. They cry. A lot. Cameron, the little boy in the story, is a good big brother. He loves his baby sister, Sadie. He's learning what there is to know about babies. He's finding out quickly that babies cry for many different reasons. The book shows that taking care of a baby is a group effort. There are jobs for mom, dad, and a big brother. (Dad does diaper duty, for example. Mom breastfeeds.) There's a whole lot of crying going on in this book, but there is a surprise there at the end. A happy surprise! Can you guess what it is?
I thought this was a good book, a realistic book. (I enjoyed the illustrations!) Babies can be loud. And crying can be frustrating. But babies are cute--Cameron loves to kiss baby toes--and they're worth it. I like that it has Dad getting involved, being involved. He isn't just passing the baby to his wife and saying, you take care of it, you make it be quiet.
I don't know if YOU care...but just in case...Lamb Chops is on the Qubo channel. (8 and 11:30 Eastern time). And that is something to be HAPPY about :)
Hughes, Langston. 2009. My People. Photographs by Charles R. Smith Jr. Simon & Schuster.
This picture book is incredible. I love the photographs by Charles R. Smith Jr. I do. They're so beautiful, so expressive. They really evoke the mood and tone found in Langston Hughes' classic poem "My People." I really don't see how they could complement each other any better than they already do. You can read the poem in its entirety here. I love what Smith says in his note, "at just thirty-three words total, the poem is a study in simplicity, which is what attracted me to it in the first place." I love simple. And this poem, this book, is further proof that simple can be good, really good. A short and simple poem about beauty paired with masterful photographs.
Staines, Bill. 2009. All God's Critters. Illustrations by Kadir Nelson. Simon & Schuster.
Are you a fan of Kadir Nelson? I sure am! One of his newest includes the picture book, All God's Critters. This is one of those picture books that illustrate a song--the lyrics are well known (or relatively well known at least) and the illustrations just add extra incentive to make this a part of your collection. (And the fact that it's by Kadir Nelson? Huge incentive!) You can preview his artwork on his site here.
Unfamiliar with the song? You may want to take a look at this YouTube clip. It is not related to the book in any way...but...if you're wondering about the song itself--how the tune goes, how all those words are phrased together rhythmically, then I encourage you to watch or listen.
This book, All God's Critters, might pair well with another one of Kadir Nelson's books--He's Got The Whole World In His Hands. Looking at that cover just makes me happy...how about you?
Kadir Nelson's other books include Henry's Freedom Box, Moses, Coretta Scott, Abe's Honest Words, and We Are The Ship. Yes, that We Are The Ship that won the Sibert Medal, and attention (both an honor and a winner) in the Coretta Scott King Awards. (Honor for illustration; Winner for Writing).
