When EVERYBODY IN THE RED BRICK BUILDING begins, the inhabitants of said building are all sound asleep. Until… Baby Lizzie goes “WaaaAAH!,” Rayhan’s parrot goes “Rraak! WAKE UP!,” Benny, Cairo, and Miles “pitter, patter STOMP!” and so on!! This wonderful story builds cumulatively to a car alarm’s “WEEYOOOWEEEEYOOOOO!!!! before the sounds soften “shhhh shhhh” for the sleepy finish. Anne Wynter’s text is clever and fun to read, and is accompanied by Oge Mora’s exceptional collaged art.
FARM LULLABY by Karen Jameson, illustrated by Wednesday Kirwan, is a stunning bedtime book from two very fine creators. Rhyming lines will soothe even the most active readers as night falls on the farm, and finally “moonbeams shine on evening blush/Nighttime’s blanket settles. Hush.” Jewel-toned illustrations of animals “settling in, hoof to chin” will invoke many a classic bedtime tale.
CAT DOG, by Mem Fox and Mark Teague, is perfectly silly book that features a “scary dog, right?” Nope. But there is a cat who narrates this book that’s full of contradictions. Cat and Dog sleep and pounce their way through a series of questions which are usually followed by “Yes!” or “No!” And, whatever the answer, the pictures often show that the opposite is closer to the truth. The acrylic paintings bring fun perspectives, a great color sense, and a knack for neatly depicting both the truth and the fiction described within these pages. Kids should love it!
THE LOST PACKAGE, written by Richard Ho and illustrated by Jessical Lanan, describes how, after a package is lovingly packed, sealed, and “given a personal touch,” it’s processed at the post office and loaded onto a truck bound for the airport. But along the way, it falls out of the truck and is “LOST.” A boy and his mom find the now “tattered and muddy” package and serendipitously deliver it to its intended destination across the country. The book has a strong narrative arc, plenty of emotional heft, and also manages to explain how mail is processed! Lanan’s watercolor illustrations deftly enhance Ho’s rich text.
¡VAMOS! LET’S CROSS THE BRIDGE, by Raúl the Third, with colors by Elaine Bay, is another installment in this exuberant look at border life. “Today is the big celebration! ¡La gran celebración!” and Little Lobo has packed up his new truck with “piñatas, cakes, rockets,” etc. for the party that’s “across the river in another country.” When they get stuck in a huge traffic jam on the bridge, it looks like Little Lobo and his friends will miss the fun. But, never fear, with all those party fixings, they have a great time celebrating right where they are. The art is so colorful and complex, it’s worth poring over with many, many readings. In fact, the whole thing is the height of madcap fun, tells a terrific story, and “Beep! Beep!” is a celebración for everyone!
MISTER WATSON’S CHICKENS, written by Jarett Dapier and illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi, is the silly-sweet and wonderfully-told tale of Mr. Watson and Mr. Nelson and their expanding chicken population. What begins as a very sensible “handful of chickens,” soon grows—and grows—to an astounding collection of 456, including one named Aunt Agnes who sings very loudly. Something must be done!
--Lynn
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