A year of visually stirring, heartfelt gems
A baby monkey with a knack for detective work, a mysterious green creature that takes up residence in an Australian farmhouse and a 9-year-old stuck in a Russian-style summer camp are among the chief attractions of an exciting year in children’s literature.
There’s also a book-length poem about feeling different from your classmates by National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson, and a wise and witty take on finding your first friends by Newbery Medal winner Kate DiCamillo. Newcomer Daniel Haack has penned a much-needed LGBT fairy tale about a prince who finds love with a knight, and Chicago author Keir Graff brings the city to life in a smart and endearing middle-grade novel.
A dazzling picture book about a Mexican immigrant’s love affair with a library, a deft fable about a wall that divides but cannot protect, a deeply funny story of a girl who receives a chicken for her birthday and the tale of one very bad cat round out the field.
At age 10, Livy returns to Australia with no recollection of the little green creature who has been waiting for her in the closet since her visit five years earlier. Livy is Bob’s only friend, and Livy comes to realize that it’s up to her to help him find his way home. A magical tale, told in two compelling voices, “Bob” delights from start to finish.
Full of crosshatched depth and detail, “Baby Monkey” is an irresistible early reader that also can be read to the little ones. A scamp ensconced in an office befitting an old-time private eye, Baby Monkey meets colorful clients and solves mysteries. The pictures tell most of the story, and the silliness will have the kids in stitches.
Our heroine asked for tickets to an amusement park for her birthday. Abuela Lola sent a chicken. Now our heroine has to feed the chicken, who turns out to be a picky eater with a shopping list, a tool belt and an elaborate plan. The heroine’s indignant voice is pitch-perfect, and the illustrations capture the wonder and wackiness. It’s funny, silly and meaningful.
This is one smart picture book about a brick wall, fierce beasts and a knight congratulating himself on being on the other side. The beasts do look scary, but as the knight climbs a ladder up the wall, we see threats on his side as well. Illustrations of bulky creatures with expressive faces enhance a fable about the dangers of seeing things in terms of us and them.
The kindly mice are adorable with their bulging eyes, soft fur and big rounded ears. But it’s when Marmalade, the evil barn cat, emerges from the shadows — yellow eyes aglow, each tooth and claw illuminated — that this tale of mice trying to subdue their oppressor really comes to life. The mice in this tale, beautifully told with striking art, hatch plan after plan to bell the cat, but justice comes only when a new creature arrives.
“The Phantom Tower” has genuine roots in Chicago — not just a few landmarks thrown in. Here, 12-year-old twins move into the haunted Brunhild Tower on the North Side and discover a phantom second tower where time has stopped. Exciting action, a creepy curse and well-drawn characters make for cozy reading.
Vera Brosgol’s graphic novel about a 9-year-old from a Russian immigrant family, determined to fit in despite economic and cultural barriers, is full of hope and pain, adventure and love. Vera attends a camp for kids of Russian descent, but when she gets stuck in a tent with cliquey older girls, her confidence wavers. Beautifully drawn, this book deftly captures the pain of homesickness and power of friendship.
Part picture book, part chapter book, part graphic novel, this story of a dog in search of her first friends is wise, endearing and full of hard-won insights. Rosie, a wistful Jack Russell terrier, wants to get to know other dogs, but the dog park intimidates her. DiCamillo endows the dogs with pitch-perfect voices, and Bliss’ watercolors tell their own vivid story. Rosie has to overcome her fears; she is rewarded when she does.
Jacqueline Woodson, a National Book Award winner, explores the uncertainty that comes from feeling different, in a poem that’s funny and heartbreaking, soaring and intimate. A little girl with brown skin and curly black hair feels different from her classmates, who in turn feel different for their own reasons. Woodson’s powerful voice and Lopez’s exuberant illustrations take us to places near and far, and bring us back home, stronger than before.
The prince, deftly drawn by Stevie Lewis, is charming and sincere. Women love him. But our hero is looking for “something different” in a life partner. When the prince rides off to battle a dragon, he meets a brave and resourceful knight, and love blossoms. This much-needed LGBT fairy tale hits the right notes; it’s at once matter-of-fact and alive to the magic of true love.
A mother and her baby boy cross a bridge “outstretched like the universe” and enter the U.S. from Mexico. In this dazzling mixed-media account, photographs and embroidery, paint and ink conjure the immigrants’ dislocation and hope. Every word feels urgent and necessary as we venture into the library that brings mother and son the language, stories and knowledge they need to put down roots.
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