Book 184: Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty, retold by Mahlon F. Craft, illustrated by K. Y. Craft, Chronicle Books 2011.

Sometimes I buy "children's books" for myself.  This is one of those times.

The retelling of the classic fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty, by Mahlon Craft is well done and faultless, but the real star of this book is the sumptuous artwork by K. Y. Craft.

K. Y. Craft creates the most amazingly beautiful artwork for the books that she illustrates.  Every book is like visiting a gallery or an art museum.  The artwork in Sleeping Beauty, as evidenced by the cover, is no exception.

So while I will read this story to my young son, and will show him the pictures, this gorgeous book is going in MY bookcase.

Book 183: Little Critter, Just a Storybook Collection

Little Critter, Just a Storybook Collection, by Mercer Mayer, Harper Collins 2012.

I think that Little Critter must be somewhere between four and six years old, because my four-and-a-half year old "little critter" acts an awful lot like this one.

The genius of Mercer Mayer's Little Critter books is that he takes ordinary, everyday situations and he shows them from the point of view of a young child.  That sounds easy to do, but it's not.  That's why kids like the books.  That, for and the peanut butter and pickle sandwiches.

As a mom and a dubious adult, I laugh out loud at these stories, not necessarily because of what Little Critter does, but because of the expressions on the grown-up faces.  More than once they have mirrored my own.  Although, I don't have a problem with peanut butter and pickle sandwiches, as long as the pickles are sweet and not dill.

Book 182: Pete the Cat, Rocking in My School Shoes

Pete the Cat, Rocking in My School Shoes, written by Eric Litwin, illustrated by James Dean, HarperCollins, 2011.

I'm not sure what makes Pete the Cat cooler:  His fearlessness (Goodness, no!), his singing, or his red hightop Chucks, or maybe a combination of all three.  My little boy first heard a Pete the Cat story at a library story time.  He loved it then, so I ordered him copies of a couple of the books, and he loves them now.

Eric Litwin is a singer/performer of children's music.  That very specialized skill leads to books that are fun to read AND sing, for me and for my four-year-old son.  In Pete the Cat, Rocking My School Shoes, Pete attends his first day of school, something that is entirely new to him and potentially scary.  But does Pete worry?  Goodness, no!  And yes, Pete ROCKS his school shoes.

James Dean's illustrations could not be cooler -- red hightop Chucks on a black cat!  James Dean has a witty sense of fun which pervades every page of this delightful book.

Book 181: Otis and the Puppy

Otis and the Puppy, by Loren Long, Philomel, 2013.

Otis and the Puppy might have been written (and illustrated) for my four-year-old son.  He loves tractors and classic vehicles.  He loves animals.  He tells stories about being lost and sad.  And stories about being found.  He is fascinated by the dark.  He loves playing hide-and-seek with the cats and our overgrown puppy.  He loves kisses and being kissed, even by the dog.  He loves beautiful illustrations and sweet, well-told stories.  Even if Otis and the Puppy wasn't written for my son (and it wasn't), I still would have bought this book.

Loren Long has a gift for telling sweet, timeless stories.  His books feel like tales that I grew up with, and my parents grew up with, and probably my grandparents grew up with.  My son enjoys them now, and I'm sure he will enjoy reading them to his children.  Writing stories like that takes skill, talent and a particular gift.

Before writing this review, I went back to read what I wrote for my review of the first Otis book.  This was my first sentence:  This is one of the books that I bought solely because I love, love, LOVE the artwork.  That is mostly true of Otis and the Puppy, except now I knew that I would be getting a lovely story to go with the sumptuous and absolutely perfect illustrations.

Book 180: Say What?

Say What?, written by Angela Diterlizzi, illustrated by Joey Chou, Beach Lane Books (Simon & Schuster), 2011.  Baby to Toddler to Preschooler.

A few months ago, a miniature copy of this book could be found in large boxes of Cheerios.  Unfortunately, not by me.  I checked out all the large boxes of Cheerios in Publix, Bi-Lo, Piggly Wiggly, Target and Walmart, and this book was not there.  So I bought the book.  I'm very glad that I did.

I loved all the writing in this book, from the author's dedication to Jane Yolen's blurb on the back cover, but my favorite was the last line of the text.  This book would appeal to so many ages:  the very youngest listeners would love the repetition and the animal sounds; toddlers would enjoy making animal sounds; preschoolers would love either reading or "reading" this book themselves.  My little boy, at four-and-a-half (as of yesterday), is a beginning reader.  He doesn't yet read new words, but when words are repeated, he recognizes them.  This book is perfect for him. 

The illustrations are wonderful.  Again, I loved every illustration in this book, but my favorite was the little boy and his mother, closely followed by the snakes.  And the birds.  And the horses.  And the sheep.  Well, all of it. 

There is nothing not to love about this book.  Even the title is clever. 

Book 179: Cupid and Psyche

Cupid and Psyche, told by M. Charlotte Craft and illustrated by K. Y. Craft, Morrow Publishing 1996.

I bought this book in 1996.  I was not a children's librarian then, nor did I ever expect to become one; I did not have any children then, nor did I expect to ever have any.  I did, however, have a cat named Psyche.  I also owned and loved the book Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis and had two versions of The Golden Ass (where the story of Cupid and Psyche first appeared in written form).  The spectacular cover art of this edition made me pick up Cupid and Psyche, and when I flipped through the book, I saw that the retelling was very well done.  So I bought it.

I do not mean to dismiss the skill involved in a retelling of a classic myth by dwelling on the artwork in this book.  It is no easy task -- I have attempted it myself with Before the Beast -- but the illustrations in this version of the Cupid and Psyche tale are breathtakingly gorgeous.  I have read comparisons of K. Y. Craft's work to the Pre-Raphelite Brotherhood.  I don't disagree with the comparisons, but I don't think that as a description goes far enough.  There is something more than just a PRB influence.  I'm not sure what that more is, except that it is magical.

Book 178: We Planted a Tree

We Planted a Tree, written by Diane Muldrow, illustrated by Bob Staake, Random House 2010.


Today is Earth Day, so it seemed like the perfect day to review this book.  Earth Day celebrations began in 1970, but the earliest one I remember is 1974.  I was in first grade, and, at my school, we planted a tree.

We Planted a Tree is a sweet story that is told through a gentle, lulling poem.  Diane Muldrow manages to explain the benefits of trees without lecturing and in a way that is a delight to read out loud.  And in a way that an active four-year-old boy can understand and enjoy.

Bob Staake illustrated this lovely poem-story, so that should automatically translate as the artwork in the is book is brilliant.  If you are not familiar with Mr. Staake's work, it is brilliant; both as in colorful-brilliant and in clever-brilliant, and infused with a healthy dose of humor.

We Plant a Tree IS a perfect book for Earth Day, and for every day thereafter.