Each year I see amazing advances in the packaging and promoting of books – especially children's books. Here are some wonderful books with interesting characteristics making them prime presents for the upcoming Christmas season.
I'll first start with picture books that are unique in the storyline or in the presentation. Meerkat Mail, by Emily Gravett, contains the best ingredients to enlighten youngsters about the importance of home, family and familiar settings. This adorable Sunny Meerkat feels that he needs a break from all of the togetherness of his family, so he sets out to visit his mongoose relatives far away. He soon discovers that he really misses his family, and the lesson that he learns is a strong one. There's another powerful lesson here as well: the importance of communication - and not through the Internet or on the phone. He sends his family postcards as he travels, and these postcards can actually flip over to the back to read Sunny's writings. Any book that reflects the importance of handwriting, instead of other forms of communication, brings about a more creative and thoughtful writing process.
The Crocodile Blues, by Coleman Polhemus, is a unique layering of an almost wordless story and a use of only three colors on white. A man, outlined in black, carrying a bird on his head (also in black), seems to be going about his day with a smile on his face. But, it all changes very quickly when he brings an egg home and places it in the fridge. The egg cracks open to hatch a crocodile which scares both man and bird. What happens next is humorous and invites the reader to revisit this interesting tale. Besides using the palate of blues, blacks and yellows, there are pages that open, fold out and even open to a double sized format.
The Little Red Fish, by Taeeun Yoo, is a smallish sized book with a special message. Upon touching the bright red cover of the book, you will discover that it's made of cloth and that the pages are actually hand sewn and bound together. The almost wordless story here celebrates the magic of books and how they can take you to a completely different place.
Jim Copp, Will You Tell Me a Story? Three Uncommonly Clever Tales, by Jim Copp, and illustrated by Lindsay DuPont, is sure to get the giggles going for both young and old! Around 50 years ago, Jim Copp recorded nine children's albums that received much acclaim. Now, with the illustrator's hilarious pictures, these funny stories are available in book form along with a CD where you can hear Mr. Copp and his animated voices from these very funny stories!
Danny's Drawing Book, by Sue Heap, celebrates the gift of creativity and imagination. Two friends are visiting the zoo when Danny decides to draw what he sees in his drawing book. But his drawings turn into a story and the adventure begins. The beginning of the story is filled with acrylic colors. But when Danny begins to draw, the child-like pictures take on the novice's flair.
I love a book that makes you want to read and learn more about all that's inside of it. Living Color, by Steve Jenkins, does just that. He has mastered the ability to create books about animals that are amazing and fascinating. He uses vivid color categories here and demonstrates the types of animals that fit into each one. Every page is mesmerizing! And the facts in the back might make you a self-proclaimed biologist!
The Old Tree, by Ruth Brown, is a beautiful story about saving a leafy, large tree from its demise. The story is a bit long for a picture book, but well worth it, and the surprise pop-up at the end is a delight.
The next two books are published by Candlewick and are oversized and filled with board-like pages full of beautiful imagery and concoctions. Monsyerology: The Complete Book of Monstrous Beasts, by Ernest Drake, is filled with pull-outs, foldouts, flaps and even removable letters that all have to do with mythical creatures that will make your imagination soar. Swords, by Ben Boos, is actually a non-fiction book that illustrates the most amazing and historical swords giving you a glimpse of history through the intricate and ornate carvings and the huge variety of sword shapes throughout the centuries.
The last two books are better suited for adults who can educate youngsters about the importance of great illustrators. Artist to Artist: 23 Major Illustrators Talk to Children about Their Art is a stunning anthology of many of the best picture book illustrators and an inside view of their work and how they created some of the most beloved characters that kids love along with fold out pages that showcase their work. A Caldecott Celebration: Seven Artists and Their Paths to the Caldecott Medal, by Leonard S. Marcus, is a close and interesting look at the most memorable classic picture books from last century along with the 2003 winner, The Man Who Walked Between the Towers.
