Thank you to Cheryl Oullette, Sherborn Public Library, and Elise Katz, International School of Boston, Cambridge for taking notes and annoting the lists!
1. Anderson, P. Joe on the Go – because of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, there are better early reader books being published, such as this one – energetic illustrations, rhymes, a nice book.
2. Ayres, K. Up, Down, and Around – concept book, bright, bouncy pictures, shows what’s up, what’s down, all through the garden, great gardening book.
3. Beccia, C. Who Put the B in the Ballyhoo? Carlyn Beccia, a new author and illustrator, lives in Wakefield. A stunning first book, alphabetical book of the circus/sideshow. Rich words, beautifully illustrated, did the pictures first and words followed.
4. Brown, M. Nibble Nibble - beautiful poems by Margaret Wise Brown, and Wendell Minor did the art, for younger children.
5. Cooper, I. The Golden Rule – a gorgeous book, beginning with a grandfather and young child, looking at the golden rule, through the world’s religions, and asking what does it mean, and how do you begin – a special book.
6. Davies, J. The House Takes a Vacation – a fun, silly book, that kids will love, especially first graders.
7. Ehlert, L. Wag a Tail – Lois Ehlert – not the strongest story, but makes up for it in the art, cut paper, final end page is wonderful – Bow Wow School Graduates.
8. Franson, S. Un-brella a wordless book about a magical umbrella that enables a girl to reverse the weather- cute, clever, simple, and imaginative. Unusual art, looks like cut paper, but done on the computer.
9. Friend, C. The Perfect Nest – it’s a hoot, from end papers right on thru. A cat wants to attract a chicken so that he will have eggs, hilarious language, using Spanish, French, and English.
10. Garland, M. How Many Mice? – connects math and reading, asks questions and has kids looking close-up for the answers, for a young audience.
11. Gorbachev, V. Red Red Red - for a younger audience, Turtle is searching for something red, and has all the other animals following him, and he finally sees what he has been looking for – the sunset.
12. Henkes, K. A Good Day – a bad day for everyone, but they turn it into a good day, for very young children.
13. Hill, T. Duck, Duck, Goose – a fun story, about 3 friends, and small conflicts, for younger children.
14. Horacek, P. Butterfly, Butterfly: A Book of Colors – a gimmicky but fun book, but too fragile for regular library use. Beautiful colors, end papers a big garish, but good for story time.
15. Hurst, C. Terrible Storm – by Carol Otis Hurst, who died this past year. Story takes place in her home, Westfield, Ma, about two grandfathers, one gregarious, one more of a loner, who each get stuck in the wrong place during a blizzard – very dry, clever, great for point-of-view.
16. Levine, E. Henry’s Freedom Box – based on a true story of a slave who had himself mailed to freedom, A beautiful great book, amazing story, great illustrations, color changes from dark to light. Has author’s notes about the real event. A gripping read.
17. Martin, J. Chicken Joy on Redbean Road: A Bayou Country Romp – with mixed-media illustrations by Melissa Sweet, tells the story of a rooster who has lost his voice and is headed for rooster stew, but is saved by the chicken who organizes a musical romp. Funny, funny romp of a story.
18. Matthews, T. Out of the Egg – a retelling of the Little Red Hen story, set in the present, with a twist – it takes a generation to change an attitude, with graphic Japanese-style woodblock prints.
19. Michelson, R. Across the Alley –a story about two boys, two cultures, and two generations, Jews and Blacks, about two boys who are friends at night, from windows over an alley, based on Michelson’s own childhood, growing up Jewish but in a Black neighborhood. A good story about overcoming prejudice. Michelson owns an art gallery in Northampton which shows children’s book art.
20. Moser, L. Watermelon Wishes – intergenerational story about a boy and his grandfather, also a summer story, where it ends with the boy expressing his wish for another summer, just like this one.
21. Paul, A. Fiesta Fiasco – kind of a Spanish trickster tale, (a companion to Manana, Iguana. A tortoise, rabbit, and iguana all buy gifts for a snake, but the rabbit convinces them to buy what he would really like to receive. Rabbit tricks them, but learns a lesson, lots of Spanish language.
22. Schaefer, C. Dragon Dancing – beautiful, great end papers, Asian theme, with a dragon dance, lovely, unusual, beautiful language.
23. Stock, C. A Porc in New York – in an earlier book, these barnyard animals had A Spree in Paree, and now they head off for New York, visiting Blooming Dells and MOOMA, silly, sophisticated, helpful if you know New York City.
24. Weatherford, C. Champions on the Bench – see earlier entry under non-fiction.
25. Willems, M., My Friend is Sad: An Elephant and Piggie Book – again, because of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, there are more good easy readers. This book has a great ending, using very few words.
26. Wong, J. The Dumpster Diver – a very fun story, about turning trash into treasure, endpapers are wonderful, text is written on scraps of paper.
Jack Plank Tells Tales by Natalie Babbitt
Great read aloud about third and fourth graders, pirate Jack Plank, episodic chapters.
The Lemonade War by Jackie Davies
Family problem – father left family, girl skips grade and will be in brother’s class. Brother and sister have lemonade war. Ending was abrupt.
Why? By Tomie dePaola
Fairmount Avenue- his life on this street through 1941-1942. WW II, food rationing, which is hard for him to understand. Many unanswered questions.
Just Grace by Harper
Four Graces in her classroom – she wants to be just Grace.
Gooney the Fabulous by Lois Lowry
Class learning to write fables. Girl is upset when the word death is mentioned.
Dear Max by D.J. Lucas.
Father has died. Boy writes to author. New little is Bravo Max. Postcards about writing and producing a movie.
A Friendship for Today by Patricia McKissack
Story (autobiographical) of school integration. White girl and back girl friendship. Black girl is Patricia McKissack.
Amelia Tells All by Moss
Journal, graphic novel, tells fortunes, what the food you eat tells about you. Journal writing.
The Talented Clementine by Penny Packer
Funny, not as good as Clementine. Excuses herself many times to talk to principal. Clementime is going to be in class show. Does not have talent so does not have an entry in the show. Begins to be the assistant director of the show when teacher is sick.
Rickshaw Girl by Perkins.
About Bangledesh, 3rd and 4th graders. Daughter wants to help family by driving rickshaw when she sees that a woman owns a business.
How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O’Connor
Good title for book talking. Set in south. Great book – dramatic. Impoverished family – homeless family living in a car.
Where I Live by Mrs. Spinelli
Parallel poems, great book, verse.
Eggs by Jerry Spinelli
No title cover, everything (the colors) works with this book. Mother is a fortune teller and is “way out there.” She wants to live in a van. Brother and sister trying to figure out how and where they stand in life.
1. Arnold, C. Super Swimmers: Whales, Dolphins, and Other Mammals of the Sea - clear, informative, good page design, for 2nd-4th grades. It has a good blend of text and illustration/captions, with good information.
2. Brooks, G. Bronzeville Boys and Girls an out-of print poetry book by African-American poet, Gwendolyn Brooks, with illustrations by Faith Ringold – a nice poetry book. First written in 1956.
3. Bryan, A. Let it Shine - a book of spirituals by Ashley Bryan, gorgeous cut paper, he also added a verse to one of the spirituals, typical of how spirituals were added on to, includes musical notation. See other book by Niki Giovanni – for importance of spirituals to African-Americans.
4. Burleigh, R. Stealing Home - a great book about 4 minutes – one “out” in a ballgame, beautiful illustrations. Jackie Robinson has to steal home. Some information is given in a baseball card format – a bit difficult to read.
5. Clements, A. Dogku - a great cover picture, a story told in haiku about a lost dog, nice and breezy.
6. Curlee, L. Skyscraper - a tall book, on tall buildings, magnificent drawings, lots of words, shows development of technology, with new skyscrapers all being built in Asia.
7. Daly, N. Pretty Salma: A Little Red Riding Hood Story from Africa
fabulous endpapers, fun, lighthearted.
8. Fitzgerald, D. Vinnie and Abraham historical story of a girl, mid-1800’s, a gifted sculptor, made models of cemetery sculptures, apprentice, was fascinated with Lincoln, and eventually sculpted him.
9. Gibbons, G. The Vegetables We Eat – typical of Gibbons’ other non-fiction treatments, but useful, like her fairly recent Groundhog Day! book.
10. Giovanni, N. On My Journey Now: Looking at African-American History Through Spirituals - for older readers, on the importance of spirituals, for African-Americans.
11. Jenkins, S. Dogs and Cats - turn the book around, one side starts with cats, the other side with dogs, cup paper collage, more text than usual.
12. Kelly, I. It’s a Butterfly’s Life color & text, typography - beautiful. not overwhelming in information. Shows endangered butterfly from Papua, New Guinea.
13. Livingston, M. Calendar a poem, nicely embellished. Simple poem going through the year, for young children.
14. Marcus, L. Pass it Down: Five Picture Book Families Make Their Mark an interesting book about families that do books, like Jerry and Brian Pinkneys, Clement and Edith Hurd and Thacher Hurd, Donald Crews, Ann Jonas, Nina Crews, Walter Dean Myers and Chris Myers, and Harlow and Anne Rockwell, and Lizzy Rockwell. etc.
15. Matthews, E. Different Like Coco by Elizabeth Matthews, who is a first time author/illustrator in Rhode Island. Interesting lovely book on Coco Chanel, nice end papers, just wondering who is the audience – easy biography?
16. Miller, D. Big Alaska - not a 2007 book, but the author, Darlene Miller is in the area for the next few years, as her daughter is in college here, and Miller is available for author visits. Fascinating facts on Alaska, the illustrator is the official illustrator for the Iditarod.
17. Morrison, T. Tsunami Warning - last year this author did Wildfire. Big paintings, not overwhelming in text, scary and fascinating.
18. Muse, D. The Entrance Place of Wonders: Poems of the Harlem Renaissance– a nice, rich collection of poems by well-known African-American poets as well as lesser known writers, paired with painted illustrations.
19. Shore, D. This is the Dream excellent book on what life was like before desegregation. Great use of illustrations and archival photo borders, and a sing-song rhyming verse, chronicles the civil rights movement.
20. Spinelli, E. Someday - a book of free verse poetry, with a clever idea – what I will do someday, but/vs. here I am now.
21. Strauss, R. One Well: The Story of Water on Earth – a wonderful book on water, how it is all connected, with large illustrations, lots of texts, graphs. Includes ideas for what children can do as in terms of conservation, pollution, well as information for parents and teachers.
22. Weatherford, C. Champions on the Bench a true and painful story from 1955 about a Black South Carolina Little League team that could not compete, because the other white teams would not play them. They were finally invited to be part of the National Little League games, but they were invited to be sitters, not players.
23. Wong, J. Twist: Yoga Poems a wonderful collaboration between the poet and illustrator, a glorious book that pairs poems about yoga poses with fabulous art.
24. Yolen, J. Here’s a Little Poem – for very young readers, a very first poetry book, to look at again and again, a visual treat.
Freedman, Russell, Adventures of Marco Polo was mentioned by one of the participants as an exciting new non-fiction book.
Wood, Douglas, Nothing to Do – with illustrations based on patterns in nature, the book explores what to do when there is nothing to do – good for summer and unscheduled down time.
Lehman, Barbara, Rainstorm – a wordless book, like her Museum Trip, where a boy, bored and lonely on a rainy day, finds a key that leads to a chest, that leads to a ladder, etc. Reminded Pat of Nothing Ever Happens On My Block by Ellen Raskin.
Yaccarino, Dan, Every Friday – a beautiful, sweet book about a boy and his dad who eat breakfast at a diner every Friday morning, urban, retro illustrations, nice, gentle story – life slowed down a bit.
DeFelice, Cynthia, One Potato, Two Potato – a magic pot story about Mr. and Mrs. O’Grady – silly fun illustrations, similar to Two of Everything: A Chinese Folk Tale by Lily Toy Hong.
Evaluation for 2007 Picture Books Not to be Missed (please complete an evaluation if you access any of the materials on this page)