Stand-Out Cybils Nominated Picture Books, #2

Oh, the joy that I’ve been experiencing even in these beginning stages of judging the Cybils nominated titles in the Fiction Picture Book category. I’ve got three more books that have wowed me and the kids this week. If I were to search for some common ground among these three, I would have to say that they each offer a unique storytelling perspective, ones that will delight children, I believe.

Just like the cover, Melita Morales’ Jam & Honey is a gentle story that lets readers see two sides of a familiar story. Most young children have had a close encounter with a bumblebee, and if you’re like me, you want to ease your kids’ fears. What better way to do that than by presenting the bee’s perspective on an encounter with a young child? I love that this book is broken up into two parts- The Girl and The Bee- with each character telling her story about a journey to get what she needs to make her treat. Be sure to pull this book out again when we ease back into summer next year!

If you’ve got young children, please tell me that you are familiar with Tom Lichtenheld. Oh, how I adore everything this man creates. A book that he authored and illustrated earlier this year popped onto my radar due to its Cybils nomination, and I can’t believe we hadn’t already seen it. Cloudette is simply wonderful, and I never imagined that a little cloud could have so much personality. The genius of Lichtenheld’s books lies in the illustrations’ small details, and my children will point to each little bit of text in the pictures and ask what different characters are saying, for they’ve learned that’s where some of the funniest stuff resides!

Who says a story has to be complex to entertain even the oldest of the picture book reading crowd? Tiny Little Fly, by Michael Rosen and gorgeously illustrated by Kevin Waldron, doesn’t have much text, but it’s still rich in language and the story is one that keeps children engaged. With a little underdog like a fly trying to escape the big paws and mouths of giant animals like an elephant, a hippo and a tiger, children are sure to be rooting for the little insect. And seriously, look at that cover– the whole book is just as visually stunning, turning a reading into time spent enjoying beautiful art.

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Dawn happily indulges her love of picture books with a crew of young kids every day. In her “free time,” she also happily blogs away at my thoughts exactly, where she tries to keep a regular focus on picture books with the feature friday’s five.