Top Picks:
Creepy Carrots: Definitely not a typical story arc. The freshness held my attention. I think I like the trend toward darker picture books.
The Princess and the Pig: This book had me laughing out loud, literally. My husband had to come and look at it to see what was amusing me so. Loved it.
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Olivia and the Fairy Princess: I’ve never picked up an Olivia book before. This one seems to be a continuation from the previous one. I felt as if I had missed the punch line of a joke. The way the art is handled is intriguing.
Pierre the Penguin: A non-fiction in a fictional format. I have a feeling there will be a lot more books like this now that the schools have Common Core Curriculum. Definitely one to look at if you want to create books for the school market. I liked it.
The Jewel Fish of Karnak: Another Graeme Base book. I love his art. This book has an interactive component. Secret decoder ring in the back cover with a web site to see if you cracked the code correctly. I didn’t solve it and go to the web site, but if I was a kid, I probably would have kept trying until I got it. I love puzzles.
I Can Do It Myself: The story line is pretty standard fare along the lines of the title. What really makes this book a pleaser is the illustrations for each activity the child is doing. Quite humorous interpretations in unexpected ways. A must see for artists interested in book illustration.
Santa Retires: Cute.
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Clover: Another one in this “old lady swallowed” series. I think this joke has run its course. The text seemed forced and illogical in places. A young child unfamiliar with the formula might be amused.
Wild About You: Cute story in a zoo about adoption.
The Monsters’ Monster: Just this side of preachy. Illustrations were well done.
Wanda and the Wild Hair: Won this one as a door prize at the MO-SCBWI fall conference on Saturday. Was a bit of a disappointment.