Submitted by Ms. Tess!
Artist Stéphane Jorisch offers a brilliant reinterpretation of Edward Lear’s classic poem in this beautifully illustrated edition of The Owl and the Pussycat. Jorisch takes Lear’s non-sensical interspecies romance one step further, portraying an affluent owl and a cat from (literally) the other side of the tracks who must hide their affection for one another from their close-minded neighbors. Seeking a place where they can love each other freely, they set out to sea. They sail to a land where their relationship is embraced and, after acquiring a ring from a friendly pig, the owl and pussycat are wed! Lear was an incredibly inventive poet (for instance, he coined the term “runcible spoon” for this poem) and Jorisch took the melancholy inferred from the poem (probably reflective of the repressive 19th century English society Lear was witness to) to inspire his fanciful, but thought-provoking illustrations. You can read The Owl and the Pussycat to the children in your life as a silly rhyming story, or as a celebration of true love and its ability to conquer all obstacles! See this book listed in our catalog
Poetry
Only a Witch Can Fly
Submitted by Ms. Melissa!
Only a Witch Can Fly by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Taeeun Yoo, is an enchanting tale of a girl’s longing to fly. Written in rhyme, using an ancient method called “sestina,” the book flows with a relaxing, lullaby-like quality. The images are created using linoleum cut print, which result in detailed images with few colors. The greens, browns, and black reflect the “Halloween” theme, and help to set the mood: a chilly night with a full moon. This is not a scary read, nor is it something too “childish” to read to an older child. This book has a point, reminiscent of the many “I think I can” books, that uplift and inspire children to try, try again if ever they should fail. Throughout the book you will find words in italics. These words are usually an action and could be read in various ways. You could whisper them, or create a motion to go along with them to add diversity to your story telling. See this book listed in our catalog
Beautiful Blackbird
Submitted by Ms. Tess!
Beautiful Blackbird by Coretta Scott King Award winner Ashley Bryan is a wonderful book, with an empowering message. An adaptation of a Zambian folktale, it tells a story of long ago, when all the birds of Africa were all the colors of the rainbow, but the most beautiful by far was Blackbird, whose feathers were all black, and thereby reflected all the colors of the world! The other birds longed to be a beautiful as Blackbird, and asked him to share his color with them. So, Blackbird filled a gourd with the color black, and painted markings on all the other birds with his feather brush. Then all of the birds had black spots, stripes, or rings, and were very happy indeed! With lively paper-cut illustrations, and robust poetry, Ashley Bryan weaves a fantastic tale you and your little one won’t soon forget! See this book listed in our catalog
The Duck Who Played the Kazoo
Submitted by Ms. Tess!
Get out your kazoo and play along with The Duck Who Played the Kazoo by Amy E. Sklansky, with pictures by Tiphanie Beeke! Meet a white duck who loves to paddle around his beautiful lake and play his shiny kazoo. But he’s awfully lonely since a hurricane blew through, so he says goodbye to his lake, and sets off in search of a new home. He flies south until he finds a river filled with brown ducks. He plays them a tune on the kazoo, and they become fast friends! They have great fun paddling up and down the river, but when the seasons start to change again, our hero thinks of the lake he left behind. He asks his new friends to fly there with him and they all agree! The duck is no longer alone! Your child will hopefully enjoy the poetic rhyme and cadence of this story, and the repeating “zu zu” refrain of the duck’s kazoo! See this book listed in our catalog
While the World Is Sleeping and McGillycuddy Could
Submitted by Ms. Allana!
The following are two books by prolific children’s author (and one of St. Mary’s County librarians’ favorites) Pamela Duncan Edwards:
I don’t know how many times I said “WOW!” while looking through the gorgeous While The World Is Sleeping, illustrated by Daniel Kirk. I probably said “wow” at least once for every page before I even read it. What child wouldn’t love this book? It is spectacular! While the poetry is rhythmic and meaningful, the artwork places the book in a superior class. This is the type of book a child will experience, not just be entertained by, or appeased with. Since it is a perfect bedtime story anyway, the child who reads it, or has it read to her or him, will be guaranteed sweet dreams filled with beautiful creatures and wondrous landscapes. See this book listed in our catalog
McGillycuddy Could, illustrated by Sue Porter, is a clever, humorous tale about a creature who comes to a farmyard and simply does not fit in. He can’t lay eggs, and he can’t give wool or milk, but before he limps off defeated, rejected and alone, an opportunity arises, and affords him the chance to show what he CAN do! You can read this aloud to smaller children, and really become animated, acting out the various traits of each animal as they taunt and try McGillycuddy. See this book listed in our catalog
Animalia
Submitted by Ms. Allana!
Animalia by Graeme Base. Everyone knows you should never judge a book by its cover, but if you are an animal lover you can’t help but be attracted to this book immediately, because of the cover! When you open the book it only gets better. Each page is filled with the most vibrant and exciting artwork, together with awesome alliteration, which I am a fan of: “Ingenious Iguanas improvising an intricate impromptu on impossible impractical instruments.” Maybe not all of the words will be understood, however, Graeme Base has a distinctive style that kids of all ages will enjoy. See this book listed in our catalog