In “I Want My Hat Back,” Joh Klassen showcases his clever, simple illustrations of extremely stylized animals, one of whom is a bear who wants his hat back.
He approaches the other animals, and in simple text asks each one, “Have you seen my hat?” When they reply in the negative, he politely thanks them. The reader is able to see which animal is talking by noting the illustrator’s use of color. Bear’s words are in black, the other animals’ responses are in red. Continue reading
“Sparkly Boy” by Lesléa Newman and illustrated by Maria Mola is a beautifully written and illustrated book about a boy who is lucky enough to be born into a family that loves and accepts him for himself, even when he wants to wear sparkly skirts and sparkly nail polish.
With “The Ultimatum,” Karen Robards creates a strong, powerful, intelligent female protagonist/criminal whose abilities and actions rival the best male hero. Super criminal power? Bianca’s got it down. Karate moves a must? Bianca’s mastered them all. Spy gadgets? Bianca’s got them in her super sexy garter belts.
She stays cool under pressure, has a perfect alter ego life when she’s not working, and doesn’t exactly remember her past. In this first book of a series, Bianca comes face to face with who she is and where she comes from. She uncovers secrets that were meant to remain hidden, and that had remained hidden at the cost of many human lives.
Animal picture books abound, but finding really well-written, touching and important picture books about animals is like finding Waldo in a sea of look-alikes. But it’s well worth the search, because finding a really good picture book is like finding a treasure — it’s something that will be kept and read and reread often. Continue reading