Books from our Current Show                      

Anasi the Spider cover

Hop Jump
Ages 3-6. Betsy the dancer watches the other frogs go back and forth, back and forth, "Hop jump, hop jump. It's always the same." At first an outcast for her leaps and turns, she eventually inspires the others to try their own moves. When the other frogs then thoughtlessly turn on the last happy hopper, spurning his hopping and jumping, Betsy comes to the rescue, stating categorically that there's room for both dancing and hopping. Preschoolers will understand the message, but they'll find the illustrations the most captivating part of the book. Using collages of textured and speckled paper against a spare, white background, Walsh creates a series of dynamic double-page spreads that will have kids hopping, jumping, and dancing. Few illustrators working in collage have Walsh's sensitivity to line, which energizes every well-composed picture in this simple, satisfying book. 

 

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A Pig is Big
Ages 3-5. In this rhyming picture book, Florian introduces the concept of comparative size. "What's big? / A pig," begins the text, which expounds on the hugeness of pigs, then asks, "What's bigger than a pig? / A cow." Each question and reply leads to something still larger. "What's bigger than a cow? / A car. / It's bigger than a cow by far. Inside a car a cow can squeeze. / And drive a pig to town with ease." After consideration of a truck, a street, a neighborhood, a city, and the world, the universe is finally declared "the biggest thing of all." Florian's illustrations, watercolors with colored pencils, expand the text to make this a satisfying picture book. The first illustration shows just the tip of a pig's ear and part of the cap he wears against a midnight-blue, double-page spread. The last page shows the same night sky with the constellation of a pig pinpointed by stars and roughly outlined in white. The artwork is sophisticated, but it remains accessible to young children, who will enjoy the blithe spirit and lively details of the paintings. The smiling pig on the cover beckons kids to this well-designed picture book.

 

Good Night Moon cover

Good Night Moon
Goodnight Moon is a short poem of goodnight wishes from a young rabbit preparing for--or attempting to postpone--his own slumber. He says goodnight to every object in sight and within earshot, including the "quiet old lady whispering hush." Clement Hurd's illustrations are simple and effective, alternating between small ink drawings and wide, brightly colored views of the little rabbit's room.

Finding all of the items mentioned throughout the book within the pictures is a good bedtime activity--a reappearing little mouse is particularly pesky. By the end of the little rabbit's goodnight poem, the story has quieted to a whisper, and the drawings have darkened with nightfall. As you turn the last page, you can expect a sleepy smile and at least a yawn or two. (Picture book) 

 

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Zomo the Rabbit : A Trickster Tale from West Africa
The mischievous West African trickster Zomo desires wisdom, but he must accomplish three impossible tasks before Sky God will give him want he wants. Can he do it? Is he clever enough to overcome any obstacle? Of course, he's Zomo!

 

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A Very Special House
Continuing a two-year program to bring back twenty-two Maurice Sendak treasures long out of print, our second season of publication highlights one of the most successful author-illustrator pairings of all time. A pioneer of great children's literature, Ruth Krauss published more than thirty books for children during a career that spanned forty years. Krauss and Sendak collaborated on eight books, and we are delighted to reintroduce four of these gems in brand-new editions, together with a favorite Maurice Sendak picture book. 

 

Happy Birthday Moon cover

Happy Birthday Moon
Bear loves the moon so much that he wants to give him a birthday present. But he doesn't know when his birthday is or what to get him. So Bear goes to have a little chat with the moon. 

A poetic fantasy, Happy Birthday, Moon has delighted fans for years as a simple yet reassuring celebration of love and friendship. Gently told with warm words and charming illustrations by creator Frank Asch, Happy Birthday Moon was cited by The New York Times as one of the ten best titles of the year.


Papagayo: The Mischief Maker cover

 

Mole Sisters
A rainstorm quashes the Mole Sisters' plans for a lovely day outside. But their leaky mole hole provides the perfect place to build an indoor oasis, complete with swimming pool! 

With an unfaltering optimism, the Mole Sisters make the most out of any situation. They are always ready to laugh and turn any dull day into an opportunity for fun! These sisters make molehills out of all the mountains that stand in their way. 

The colored pencil artwork is bright and lush, and the Mole Sisters' love for life is conveyed through a minimum of text that is easy to follow for any toddler or preschooler. These stories will leave you with warmth in your heart. 

 

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Noisy Nora
 It's tough being the middle mouse. No one's paying any attention to Nora, so she decides to do something her family can't ignore: make noise. Nora slams windows, bangs doors, and upsets furniture, to no avail. It's not until she crashes out the door--and the house goes strangely silent--that her family realizes: a noisy Nora is much better than no Nora at all.

 

 

Zomo the Rabbit : A Trickster Tale from West Africa cover

Grandfather's Lovesong
 This poetic celebration of a grandfather's love for his grandson possesses occasionally obscure imagery, but the pair's warm togetherness is apparent as they share the joys of the changing seasons. Lovely and expansive, the rural landscapes complement a nice book for intimate sharing.






Other Books2

Anasi the Spider cover

Happy to Be Nappy
In Bell Hooks's first venture into children's books, she wisely teams up with Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator Chris Raschka (Yo! Yes?, Mysterious Thelonious). Raschka's bold paint strokes on a color wash background are strikingly original--a perfect match for the exuberant text. This beautiful picture book will surely make any reader, young or old, happy to be nappy--and anyone who raved or ranted over Carolivia Herron and illustrator Joe Cepeda's Nappy Hair will welcome this joyful, celebratory book. 
 

 

Anasi the Spider cover

Mysterious Thelonious
Chris Raschka has created an unusual portrait of Thelonious Monk and Misterisos. One of Monk's masterpieces, Misterioso, is full of a tension that is never quite resolved. By matching the tones of the color wheel to the chromatic musical scale and then translating the notes of the piece into color, Raschka captures its whimsical, lyric, and startling contours. The effect is to see the music and to hear the color. Raschka's truly remarkable watercolors capture with intense poignancy Monk's idiosyncratic postures as he plays. 

 

Anasi the Spider cover

Yo Yes (Caldecott Honor Book, 1994)
In just thirty-four words and companion illustrations, Raschka tells a story of the discovery of friendship and the joys and insecurities that go along with reaching out. An African-American boy calls out to a Caucasian boy who is shyly edging off his page. Their terse, but emotionally loaded, exchange continues as the shy boy admits to having no friends and the more outgoing child offers friendship. Raschka exhibits an appreciation of the rhythms of both language and human exchange in his deceptively simple story.